So you don’t use your hearing aids regularly? Most of the time you leave them in the drawer unless you are, for instance, going to the theater or to a party. Is it actually important to wear them more often than that?
In the long run, you create difficulty for yourself if you’re not using your hearing aids regularly and that’s a problem. You could damage your hearing irreversibly. You could suffer from cognitive decline or social isolation. Your general health might be affected. So, if you aren’t wearing your hearing aids, you should definitely be reading this.
Why Are Your Hearing Aids Not in
If your hearing aids are stored in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you likely have an excuse. You might have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Maybe, when your family questions you, you even say something nondescript and evasive, such as, “I just don’t like them”.
Undoubtedly, though, there’s more to it than that. Usually, there’s a particular reason why you’re not using your hearing aids. And there’s also a very exact solution to your problem.
What follows are some of the most frequent grievances;
“My Hearing Aids Don’t Feel That Comfortable”
One of the most typically cited reasons that people discontinue wearing their hearing aids frequently is discomfort. Maybe the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or maybe pain and tenderness are happening in just the wrong spot with your over-the-ear model.
Hearing aids aren’t supposed to be uncomfortable, so if they’re causing irritation of any sort, something is surely not right. And frustration, pain and soreness are not things you would wish from any piece of technology.
Possible solution: If you’re not comfortable with your hearing aids, a follow-up fitting session is something you should consider. A couple small tweaks may be all your hearing aid needs. Some models can even be completely customized to the shape and size of your ears. You will be able to leave your hearing aid in longer if it fits well and is comfortable.
My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality
It’s possible you don’t wear your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. If that’s the situation, it’s not surprising that you’ve decided to store your hearing aids in your nightstand drawer and save them for “special occasions”.”
Hearing aids are completing complicated auditory functions all the time as they increase some sounds while getting rid of others and that can cause a tinny or fuzzy sound. So the sound quality might seem hard to rely on if your settings aren’t correctly adjusted.
Solution: This issue has two possible solution: upkeep and calibration. It could be that your hearing aids are damaged in some way or another and need to be repaired. But your hearing specialist can perform a basic calibration which is all that your hearing aids might need.
When I Use My Hearing Aid, Voices Are Muffled
When you listen to people talk, you want to be able to hear them clearly. When you first purchased hearing aids that was the whole point! You didn’t want to miss out on a single word. So it could be a little bit aggravating if all the voices you hear when your wearing you’re hearing aid sound muffled or difficult to understand.
This generally happens when you first get your hearing aids because your brain and ears aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s as if they had a falling out or something).
Solution: Practice. Comprehending what people are saying is something your brain will have to become accustomed to, so whatever you can do to get some repetition will help. Try reading along to an audiobook or reading along with the closed captioning while you watch television. Another way to get some beneficial practice is by simply having discussions with people around you.
Finding Answers
You can find a solution regardless of why you’re not wearing your hearing aid. And it is imperative, both for the health of your hearing and your cognitive well-being, that you wear your hearing aids regularly.
So if you’re not wearing your hearing aids? Recognize the issue and come up with a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you believe your hearing aids need adjustment, consult your hearing care specialist now.