Ever ask yourself “what would it actually be like to wear hearing aids”? How does a hearing aid feel when you’re wearing one, what does it sound like, and what does it feel like in your ears are all questions you may want to ask someone who already has hearing aids? Here’s a description of what hearing aids are like, but if you truly want to know, come in for a demonstration.
1. Sometimes You Get Feedback
No, not the type you might get on a work evaluation. When a microphone and a speaker detect each other’s signal, they interfere with each other creating a high-pitched whistling sound. It causes a sound loop that even advanced speakers like those in hearing aids don’t know how to handle.
We’ve all heard this kind of feedback right before someone begins speaking into a microphone.
Although this can be unpleasant, when hearing aids are properly tuned, it’s rare. If you’re experiencing it, the earmold may not be properly fitted or you need to replace it.
Feedback can be removed, in some more advanced hearing aids, by a built-in feedback suppression system.
2. Conversations Are Easier to Follow in a Noisy Setting
If you suffer from neglected hearing loss, eating dinner with your family or friends in a noisy restaurant can seem like you’re eating by yourself. It’s almost impossible to follow the conversations. Most of the evening, you might wind up just nodding and smiling.
But today’s hearing aids have the advanced ability to block out background noise. The voices of your family and the wait staff become crystal clear.
3. It Gets a Little Sticky at Times
Your body has a way of telling you when something shouldn’t be there. Your body will produce saliva if you eat something overly spicy. If you get an eyelash in your eye, you generate tears to wash your eye. Your ears have their own way of removing a nuisance.
They create extra wax.
So it’s no surprise that those who wear hearing aids often get to manage the buildup of earwax. It’s only wax, thankfully, so cleaning it isn’t a problem. (We can help you learn how.)
Then you’ll just put that hearing aid back in and start relishing your hearing again.
4. There Are Benefits For Your Brain
This one may surprise you. If somebody begins developing hearing loss it will gradually impact brain function as it progresses.
One of the first things to go is the ability to understand the spoken language. Problem solving, learning new things, and memory will then become difficult.
Getting hearing aids sooner than later helps slow this brain atrophy. They re-train your brain. Research shows that they can decrease cognitive decline and even reverse it. As a matter of fact, 80% of individuals had improved cognitive function, according to research conducted by the AARP, after wearing hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. You Need to Replace The Batteries
Many people simply hate managing those little button batteries. And these batteries seem to choose the worst time to lose power, like when you’re expecting a call from your doctor.
But simple solutions exist to alleviate much of this perceived battery hassle. There are methods you can use to significantly extend battery life. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, today you can buy hearing aids that are rechargeable. Just dock it on the charger at night. Put it back on in the morning. There are also solar-powered hearing aid chargers so you can even recharge your hearing aid while out camping, fishing, or hiking.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
Nowadays, hearing aids have sophisticated technology. It isn’t as difficult as learning to use a new computer. But it definitely takes a little time for your brain to get used to new hearing aids and to get the configurations right.
It steadily gets better as you continue to wear your hearing aids. Throughout this adjustment time, try to be patient with yourself and your new hearing aids.
Individuals who have stayed the course and worn their hearing aids for six months or more typically will say it’s all worth it.
Only actually using hearing aids can give you the experiencing of what they’re really like. If you want to figure it out, give us a call.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html