Congrats! You’ve just become the proud owner of hearing aids – a great piece of modern technology. But new hearing aid owners will wish someone had informed them about certain things, just like with any new technology.
Let’s go over nine common mistakes new hearing aid owners make and how to steer clear of them.
1. Failing to understand hearing aid functionality
Or, more specifically, know how your hearing aid works. The hearing experience will be greatly enhanced if you know how to use advanced features for different environments like on the street, at the movies, or in a restaurant.
Your wireless devices, like smartphones and televisions can probably sync wirelessly to your hearing aids. In addition, it might have a special setting that helps you hear on the phone.
If you don’t learn about these features, it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut by using your technologically-sophisticated hearing aid in a rudimentary way. Hearing aids nowadays can do more than make the sound louder.
Practice wearing your hearing aid in different settings in order to learn how to get the clearest sound quality. Ask a family member or friend to help you so you can test how well you can hear.
After a little practice, as with anything new, it will get easier. And your hearing experience will be much better than when you simply raise and lower the volume.
2. Expecting immediate improvement in your hearing
It’s not unusual for a new hearing aid owner to think that their hearing will be optimal from the first day. This isn’t a correct assumption. Some people say it takes a month or more before they are completely comfortable with their hearing aid. But don’t get frustrated. They also say it’s very worth it.
Give yourself a few days, after you get home, to get used to your new situation. It’s like breaking in a new pair of shoes. Sometimes, you will need to go slow and use your new hearing aids a little at a time.
Begin by just talking quietly with friends. Familiar voices might sound different at first, and this can be disorienting. Ask your friends if you’re speaking too loud and make the required adjustments.
Slowly start to visit new places and use the hearing aid for more extended periods of time.
You will have wonderful hearing experiences in front of you if you can only be patient with yourself.
3. Not being truthful about your degree of hearing loss at your hearing appointment
Responding truthfully to the questions during your hearing test will assure you get fitted with the optimum hearing aid technology.
Go back and get another test if you realize you may not have been entirely honest after you get your hearing aids. Getting it straight the first time is better. The hearing aid type and style that will be best for you will be determined by the degree and kind of hearing loss you have.
As an illustration, people with hearing loss in the high frequency range will require a particular type of hearing aid. People who have mid-range hearing loss will call for different technology and etc.
4. Not getting a hearing aid fitting
Your hearing aids need to juggle several requirements at the same time: They need to effectively amplify sound, they need to be easy to put in and remove, and they need to be comfortable in your ears. All three of those variables will be resolved during your fitting.
When you’re getting fitted, you might:
- Have your hearing tested to identify the power level of your hearing aid.
- Have your ears accurately measured or have molds made (or both).
5. Not tracking your results
It’s important that you take notes on how your hearing aid performs and feels once you get fitted. If you have difficulty hearing in large rooms, make a note of that. If your right ear feels tighter than your left, note that. If everything feels right, make a note. With this information, we can customize the settings of your hearing aid so it works at peak efficiency and comfort.
6. Not thinking about how you will utilize your hearing aid in advance
Some hearing aids are water-resistant. However, water can seriously damage others. Some have state-of-the-art features you might be willing to pay more for because you enjoy certain activities.
You can ask our opinion but the decision is yours. You won’t use your hearing aid if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle and only you know what features you will use.
You’ll be using your hearing aid for quite a while. So if you really need certain features, you don’t want to settle for less.
A few more things to contemplate
- Maybe you want a high level of automation. Or maybe you like having more control over the volume. How much battery life will you need?
- You may care about whether people can see your hearing aid. Or, you might want to make a bold statement.
- Consult with us about these things before your fitting so you can make sure you’re completely satisfied.
Throughout the fitting process we can address many of the challenges regarding lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. What’s more, many hearing aid makers will let you demo the devices before making a decision. This demo period will help you figure out which brand will be best for your requirements.
7. Failing to take proper care of your hearing aid
Moisture is a serious issue for most hearing aids. You might want to get a dehumidifier if you live in an extremely humid location. It’s a bad idea to store your hearing aid in the bathroom where everyone showers.
Always wash your hands before touching the hearing aid or batteries. Oils found naturally on your hand can effect how well the hearing aid works and the duration of the batteries.
The hearing aid shouldn’t be allowed to collect earwax and skin cells. Instead, the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning procedures should be followed.
Taking simple actions like these will improve the life and function of your hearing aid.
8. Not having spare batteries
Frequently, it’s the worst time when new hearing aid owners learn this one. All of a sudden, while you’re watching your favorite show, your batteries quit just as you’re about to discover “who done it”.
Like many electronic devices, battery life varies depending on your usage and the outside environment. So even if you recently changed your batteries, keep a spare set with you. Don’t miss something important because of an unpredictable battery.
9. Not practicing your hearing exercises
You might assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first get them. But it’s not just your ears that are affected by hearing loss, it’s also the parts of your brain responsible for interpreting all those sounds.
You can start to work on rebuilding those ear-to-brain connections after you get your new hearing aids. For some people, this might happen quite naturally and this is particularly true if the hearing loss happened recently. But for others, an intentional strategy might be required to get your hearing firing on all cylinders again. The following are a couple of prevalent strategies.
Reading out loud
Reading out loud is one of the best ways to restore those connections between your ears and your brain. Even if you feel a bit odd at first you should still practice like this. You’re practicing reconnecting the experience of saying words with the sounds they make. Your hearing will get better and better as you continue practicing.
Audiobooks
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of reading something out loud personally, then you can always try audiobooks. You can purchase (or rent from the library) a physical copy of a book and the audiobook version together. Then, you read along with the book while the audiobook plays. This does the same work as reading something out loud, you hear words while reading them. And that helps the hearing-and-language region of your brain get used to hearing (and understanding) speech again.
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Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/
