Congratulations! Modern hearing aids are an impressive piece of technology, and you’ve just become the proud owner of a shiny new pair. But new hearing aid users will wish somebody had informed them about certain things, just like with any new technology.
Let’s assess how a new hearing aid owner can avoid the 9 most common hearing aid mistakes.
1. Not learning how hearing aids work
Or, more specifically, know how your hearing aid works. The hearing experience will be dramatically enhanced if you know how to use advanced features for different settings like on the street, at the movies, or in a restaurant.
Your wireless devices, including smartphones and televisions can probably connect wirelessly to your hearing aids. Additionally, it might have a specific setting that helps you hear on the phone.
If you fail to learn about these features, it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut by using your technologically-advanced hearing aid in a rudimentary way. Modern hearing aids do more than simply increase the volume of outside sounds.
Practice wearing your hearing aid in different settings in order to learn how to get the clearest sound quality. Ask a family member or friend to help you so you can test how well you can hear.
After a little practice, as with anything new, it will get easier. Just turning the volume up and down won’t even come close to giving you the hearing experience that using these more advanced features will.
2. Thinking that your hearing will instantly improve
In line with number one, many new hearing aid users think their hearing will be optimal as they leave the office. This assumption is normally not how it works. Some say it takes a month or more before they’re entirely comfortable with their hearing aid. But don’t get discouraged. They also say it’s really worth it.
After you get home, give yourself a couple of days to get used to the new experience. It won’t be that much different than breaking in new shoes. You might need to wear it in short intervals.
Start in a quiet setting with a friend where you are only talking. Simple voices might sound different at first, and this can be disorienting. Ask your friends if you’re speaking too loud and make the required adjustments.
Slowly increase the time you wear your hearing aids and progressively add new places to visit.
You will have wonderful hearing experiences ahead of you if you can only be patient with yourself.
3. Being dishonest about your level of hearing loss at your hearing assessment
In order to be certain you get the correct hearing aid technology, it’s essential to answer any questions we may ask truthfully.
If you have your hearing aid and realize that perhaps you weren’t as honest as you might have been, go back and get retested. But it’s better if you get it right the first time. The hearing aid type and style that will be ideal for you will be determined by the level and kind of hearing loss you have.
As an illustration, people with hearing loss in the high frequency range will need a specific type of hearing aid. Others will be better for those with mid-frequency hearing loss and so on.
4. Neglecting to have your hearing aid fitted
There are numerous requirements that your hearing aids need to simultaneously manage: They need to efficiently amplify sound, they need to be simple to put in and take out, and they need to be comfortable in your ears. Your hearing aid fitting is meant to properly calibrate all three of those factors for your personal needs.
When you’re getting fitted, you may:
- Have your hearing tested to identify the power level of your hearing aid.
- Have molds of your ears made and measurements taken.
5. Not tracking your results
After you’ve been fitted, it’s important to take notes on how your hearing aid feels and performs. If you have difficulty hearing in big rooms, make a note of that. Make a note if one ear feels tighter than the other. Even note if everything feels right on. This can help us make personalized, minute changes to help your hearing aids reach peak comfort and effectiveness.
6. Not thinking about how you will utilize your hearing aid ahead of time
Some hearing aids are water-resistant. Others, however, can be damaged or even destroyed by water. Perhaps you enjoy certain activities and you are willing to pay extra for more advanced features.
We can give you some suggestions but you must choose for yourself. Only you know which advanced features you’ll actually use and that’s worth investing in because if the hearing aids don’t work with your lifestyle you won’t wear them.
You’ll be using your hearing aid for quite a while. So you don’t want to regret settling when you really would have benefited from a certain function.
Some other things to take into consideration
- You may want something that is really automated. Or maybe you enjoy having more control over the volume. Is a longer battery life important to you?
- How noticeable your hearing aid is may be something you’re worried about. Or, you may want to make a bold statement.
- Speak with us about these things before your fitting so you can be sure you’re completely satisfied.
Many challenges that come up regarding fit, lifestyle, and how you use your hearing aids can be addressed through the fitting process. Also, you may be able to try out your hearing aids before you commit to a purchase. This test period will help you figure out which brand will be best for your requirements.
7. Failing to take proper care of your hearing aid
Moisture is a significant problem for most hearing aids. If you live in a humid place, getting a dehumidifier might be worth the money. Keeping your hearing aid in the bathroom where people take baths or showers is a bad idea.
Before you touch your hearing aid or its battery, be sure to wash your hands. Oils encountered naturally on your hand can impact how well the hearing aid works and the duration of the batteries.
Don’t let earwax or skin cells build up on the hearing aid. Instead, clean it based on the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Taking simple actions like these will improve the life and function of your hearing aid.
8. Not getting spare batteries
Frequently, it’s the worst time when new hearing aid owners learn this one. When you’re about to learn who did it at the critical moment of your favorite show, your batteries quit without warning.
Your battery life depends, like any electronic device, on the external environment and how you use it. So always keep a spare set of batteries handy, even if you just changed them. Don’t let an unpredictable battery cause you to miss something important.
9. Neglecting your hearing exercises
You might assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first get them. But it’s not just your ears that are impacted by hearing loss, it’s also the regions of your brain responsible for interpreting all those sounds.
You can begin to work on rebuilding those ear-to-brain connections after you get your new hearing aids. For some people, this may happen rather naturally and this is particularly true if the hearing loss developed recently. But for other people, a deliberate approach might be necessary to get your hearing firing on all cylinders again. A couple of typical strategies include the following.
Reading out loud
Reading out loud is one of the easiest ways to restore those pathways between your ears and your brain. It might feel a little foolish at first, but don’t let that stop you. You’re practicing reconnecting the experience of saying words with the sounds they make. The more you establish those connections, the better your hearing (and your hearing aid) will work.
Audiobooks
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of reading something out loud yourself, then you can always try audiobooks. You can purchase (or rent from the library) a physical copy of a book and the audiobook version together. Then as the audiobook plays, you can read along. You’ll hear a word as you’re reading it just like reading out loud. This will teach the language parts of your brain to understand speech again.
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Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/