So, it’s not very often that you use your hearing aids? Most of the time you leave them in the drawer unless you’re, for instance, going to the theater or to a party. Do you actually need to use them more often than that?
The concern is that when you don’t use your hearing aids regularly, you’re creating some troubling disadvantages for yourself over time. Your hearing could get drastically worse. You could suffer from mental decline or social isolation. You could compromise your general health. So, if you aren’t using your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Why Aren’t You Using Your Hearing Aid?
If your hearing aids are sitting unused in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you most likely have a reason. You might have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Perhaps, when your family asks, you may even say something nondescript and evasive, such as, “I just don’t like them”.
Certainly, though, there’s more to the story than that. Usually, there’s a particular reason why you don’t use your hearing aids. Specific issues are good because they create an opportunity to find an equally specific solution.
Some of the most frequent problems include the examples below;
“My Hearing Aids Aren’t Very Comfortable”
One of the most typically cited reasons that people discontinue wearing their hearing aids frequently is discomfort. Maybe the hearing aid won’t stop falling out of your ear. Or maybe your over-the-ear model irritates just the wrong spot, causing tenderness and pain.
It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to use hearing aids, so something is definitely not right if they’re creating any sort of irritation. And it’s logical that you wouldn’t want to use a piece of technology that creates pain, frustration or soreness.
Possible solution: If you’re not comfortable with your hearing aids, consider scheduling an additional or follow-up fitting session. It’s altogether possible that the way your hearing aid fits just requires a few quick alterations. Some models can even be entirely customized to the size and shape of your ears. You will be able to leave your hearing aid in longer if it fits properly and is comfortable.
My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality
Maybe you don’t use your hearing aids very often because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. It’s not shocking that you have decided to put your hearing aids away for a special occasion, if that’s the case.”
This fuzzy or tinny sound can happen because hearing aids are carrying out complicated auditory processes at all times, filtering out some sounds while trying to amplify others. So the sound quality might seem unreliable if your settings aren’t properly adjusted.
Solution: There are two potential solutions to this problem: maintenance and calibration. It’s possible that your hearing aids are damaged in some form or another and require repairs. But it’s also possible that they basically need a simple calibration (generally this is something your hearing specialist can do for you).
Voices Are Muffled With my Hearing Aids
When you listen to people talk, you want to be able to hear them with clarity. That’s the entire reason you purchased hearing aids to begin with! You needed to be sure you didn’t miss any important conversations. So it may be a little bit aggravating if all the voices you hear when your wearing you’re hearing aid are muffled or hard to understand.
This generally occurs when you first use your hearing aids because your ears and brain aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s like they had a disagreement or something).
The Solution: Keep practicing. Understanding conversations is something your brain will need to get used to, so anything 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. Merely having more discussions with the people who are around you is a perfect way to get some practice, as well.
Getting Answers
The point is regardless of what your justification for not using your hearing aids might, there’s an answer somewhere. And you have to wear your hearing aid routinely in order to safeguard your cognitive health and the well being of your hearing.
So if your hearing aids aren’t be working well for you? Recognize the problem and come up with a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you think your hearing aids require adjustment, get in touch with your hearing care professional right away.