So you don’t use your hearing aids all that often? Maybe you put them in when you go to a party or go to the theater, but otherwise, you leave them in the drawer. Do you actually need to wear them more often than that?
In the long run, you make trouble for yourself if you’re not using your hearing aids on a regular basis and that’s an issue. Your hearing may get considerably worse. Social isolation and cognitive decline could be the outcome. Your overall health may be jeopardized. So, if you’re not wearing your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Why Are Your Hearing Aids Not in
If your hearing aids are stored in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you probably have an excuse. You might have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Maybe you brush off the questions from your family when they ask why you’re not wearing them.
Certainly, though, there’s more to it than that. Usually, there’s a particular reason why you don’t use your hearing aids. Specific issues are good because they generate the possibility to find an equally specific remedy.
Some of the most common issues consist of the examples below;
“My Hearing Aids Aren’t Very Comfortable”
One of the most regularly mentioned reasons that people discontinue using their hearing aids frequently is discomfort. Sometimes, the hearing aid won’t stop falling out of your ear. Or maybe pain and tenderness are occurring in just the wrong spot with your over-the-ear model.
It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to use hearing aids, so if they’re causing discomfort of any kind, something is surely wrong. And frustration, pain and soreness are not things you would wish from any piece of technology.
Possible solution: If you’re uncomfortable with your hearing aids, think about setting up an additional or follow-up fitting session. A few little tweaks may be all your hearing aid requires. The shape and size of your ear can even be the basis of an entire customization of some models. The more comfortable your hearing aid fits, the more likely you are to leave the device in place for long periods of time.
I’m Experiencing Poor Quality Sound From my Hearing Aids
Perhaps you find the sound of your hearing aid to be too fuzzy or tinny so you don’t wear them very often. It’s not surprising that you’ve decided to put your hearing aids away for a special occasion, if that’s the case.”
Hearing aids are completing complex auditory functions all the time as they amplify some sounds while getting rid of others and that can cause a fuzzy or tinny sound. So if your settings aren’t correctly adjusted, the sound quality may seem unreliable.
Solution: There are two potential solutions to this problem: upkeep and calibration. It could be that your hearing aids are damaged in some way or another and require repairs. But your hearing specialist can do a basic calibration which is all your hearing aids may need.
When I Wear My Hearing Aid, Voices Are Muffled
You need to hear voices with clarity. When you first got hearing aids that was the whole reason! You didn’t want to miss one word. So if all the voices you hear are hard to comprehend and sound muffled it may be a bit discouraging.
This normally happens when you first buy your hearing aids because your ears and brain aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s as if they had a falling out or something).
The Remedy: Practice. Your brain is going to have to become accustomed to hearing language again, so anything you can do to get some repetition will help. Try reading along with closed caption while watching your favorite program or along with an audiobook. Another way to get some beneficial practice is simply by having discussions with people you come in contact with.
Finding Answers
The point is that no matter what your justification for not using your hearing aids might, there is an answer somewhere. And you have to wear your hearing aid routinely in order to protect your cognitive health and the well being of your hearing.
So if you’re not wearing your hearing aids? After pinpointing the problem, find a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you suspect your hearing aids require adjustment, consult your hearing care specialist now.