Ever ask yourself “what would it really be like to use hearing aids”? How does a hearing aid feel when you’re wearing one, what is the 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? If you really want to know what hearing aids are like, you need to come in for a demo, but for now, continue reading for a summary of what you can expect.
1. Hearing Aids Sometimes Get Feedback
This isn’t the kind of feedback that you get when someone tells you how they feel about your results. “Feedback “ is a whistling sound that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound produced by the speaker. It produces a sound loop that even advanced speakers like the ones in hearing aids don’t know how to handle.
We’ve all heard this kind of feedback just before somebody starts talking into a microphone.
While this might sound mortifying, and it is uncomfortable, it is rare when a hearing aid is properly tuned. If you’re encountering it, the earmold may not be properly fitted or you need to replace it.
Feedback can be eliminated, in some more sophisticated hearing aids, by a built-in feedback cancellation system.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Loud Restaurant
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. Conversations are almost impossible to keep up with. You might end up sitting there, smiling and nodding most of the night.
But hearing aids nowadays have some really sophisticated technology that can drown out background noise. They bring the voices of your children and the wait staff into crystal clearness.
3. Sometimes it Gets a Little Sticky
When something isn’t right, your body has a way of reacting to it. Your body will produce saliva if you eat something overly spicy. You will generate tears if something gets in your eye. Your ears have their own way of eliminating a nuisance.
They produce extra wax.
So it’s no surprise that individuals who wear hearing aids often get to manage the buildup of earwax. It’s only wax, luckily, so cleaning it isn’t an issue. (We can help you learn how.)
Once you’re done the cleaning you’re quickly back in business.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
You may be surprised by this one. When somebody develops hearing loss, it very slowly begins to affect brain function if they don’t get it treated as soon as possible.
Fully understanding what people are saying is one of the first things to go. Then memory, learning new things, and solving problems become a difficulty.
This brain atrophy can be slowed by getting hearing aids sooner than later. They re-train your brain. Research shows that they can slow down mental decline and even reverse it. As a matter of fact, one study conducted by AARP showed that 80% of individuals had improved cognitive function after treating their hearing loss.
5. The Batteries Have to be Replaced
Those tiny button batteries can be a little challenging to manage. And these batteries seem to pick the worst time to lose power, like when you’re expecting a call from your doctor.
But simple solutions exist to decrease much of this perceived battery hassle. There are strategies you can use to greatly increase battery life. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, you can choose a pair of rechargeable hearing aids which are available nowadays. At night, just dock them on the charger. In the morning, just put them back on. There are also solar-powered hearing aid chargers so you can even recharge your hearing aid when you’re fishing. camping, or hiking.
6. You Will Experience a Learning Curve
The technology of modern hearing aids is quite sophisticated. It isn’t as hard as learning to use a new computer. But it certainly takes a little time for your brain to adapt to new hearing aids and to get the configurations right.
It progressively gets better as you keep wearing your hearing aids. Try to be patient with yourself and your hearing aids throughout this transition.
Anyone who’s been using a set of hearing aids for 6 months or more will tell you that it’s worth it.
This is what it’s really like to wear hearing aids. If you want to figure it out, give us a call.
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References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html