Ever wish you could get the inside scoop on what hearing aids are truly like? 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? If you truly want to know what hearing aids are like, you should come in for a demonstration, but for now, keep reading for a summary of what you can expect.
1. At Times You Get Feedback
No, not the kind you may receive on a work evaluation. “Feedback “ is a high-pitched sound that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound produced by the speaker. It causes a sound loop that even modern speakers like the ones in hearing aids don’t know how to handle.
They may squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium just before the principal speaks.
While this may sound terrible, and it is unpleasant, it is rare when a hearing aid is correctly maintained. If you’re encountering it, the earmold might not be properly fitted or you need to replace it.
Feedback can be removed, in some more sophisticated hearing aids, by a built-in feedback suppression system.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Noisy 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 nearly impossible to follow. Most of the evening, you may find yourself just nodding and smiling.
But today’s hearing aids have the advanced noise blocking ability for background sound. They bring the voices of your family and the servers into crystal clarity.
3. It Gets a Little Sticky at Times
Your body has a way of letting you know when something doesn’t belong. 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 also possess a defense system of their own.
Earwax production.
Due to this, earwax buildup can occasionally be an issue for individuals who wear hearing aids. It’s only wax, luckily, so cleaning it isn’t a problem. (We’ll show you how.)
Then you’ll simply put that hearing aid back in and start relishing your hearing again.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
This one might surprise you. If somebody starts to develop hearing loss it will slowly impact cognitive function as it progresses.
Accurately understanding what people are saying is one of the first things you lose. Then memory, learning new things, and problem-solving become a difficulty.
Getting hearing aids as soon as possible helps stop this brain atrophy. Your brain gets re-trained. They can slow and even reverse cognitive decline according to many studies. In fact, one study conducted by AARP revealed 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 somewhat challenging to manage. And they seem to die at the worst times, like when you’re about to find out “whodunnit” in a mystery movie, or just as your friend is telling you the juicy particulars of a story.
But straight forward solutions exist to alleviate much of this perceived battery hassle. There are methods you can use to greatly extend battery life. It’s not hard to bring an extra set because these batteries are inexpensive and small.
Or, you can purchase a set of rechargeable hearing aids which are available now. When you go to bed, simply place them on the charger. In the morning, simply put them back on. You can even get some hearing aids with solar-powered charging docs so you can charge them even if you are hiking or camping.
6. You Will Have a Learning Curve
Today, hearing aids have sophisticated technology. It’s a lot simpler than learning to use a computer for the first time. But getting used to your new hearing aids will certainly take some time.
The longer and more consistently you use hearing aids the better it gets. During this adjustment time, try to be patient with yourself and your new hearing aids.
Anyone who’s been using a set of hearing aids for six months or more will tell you that it’s worth it.
Only actually using hearing aids can give you the experiencing of what they’re really like. Isn’t it time to find out for yourself?
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html