So you don’t use your hearing aids very often? Maybe you put them in when you go to a party or go to the theater, but in most cases, you leave them in the drawer. Is it actually important to use them more often than that?
Over the long term, you create problems for yourself if you’re not wearing your hearing aids on a regular basis and that’s an issue. You could irreversibly harm your hearing. You could have problems with social isolation and cognitive decline. You could compromise your general health. So, if you’re not using your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Why Aren’t Your Hearing Aids in Your Ears?
If your hearing aids are stored in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you most likely have an excuse. You may have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Perhaps, when your family asks, you even say something nondescript and evasive, such as, “I just don’t like them”.
Stilted dialogue aside, we know that’s not the full story, right? Normally, there’s a particular reason why you don’t use your hearing aids. Specific issues are positive because they create the possibility to find an equally specific remedy.
The following are some of the most frequent complaints;
“My Hearing Aids Don’t Feel Comfortable”
One of the most typically reported reasons that individuals discontinue wearing their hearing aids regularly is discomfort. Often, the hearing aid won’t stop falling out of your ear. Or perhaps pain and tenderness are developing in just the wrong spot with your over-the-ear model.
It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to wear hearing aids, so if they’re creating irritation of any sort, something is certainly wrong. And soreness, frustration, and pain are not things you would wish from any piece of technology.
Possible solution: If your hearing aids are not comfortable, think about setting up an additional or follow-up fitting session. A few little adjustments may be all your hearing aid needs. The size and shape of your ear can even be the basis of a complete customization of some designs. You will be capable of leaving your hearing aid in longer if it fits properly and is comfortable.
My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality
Perhaps you don’t wear your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. It’s not surprising that you’ve decided to put your hearing aids away for a special occasion, if that’s the situation.”
Hearing aids are doing complicated auditory functions all of the time as they amplify some sounds while getting rid of others and that can result in a tinny or fuzzy sound. So the sound quality may seem unreliable if your settings aren’t correctly adjusted.
Solution: This challenge has two potential solution: upkeep and calibration. It’s possible that your hearing aids are broken in some form or another and require repairs. But it might be possible that they just need a simple calibration (generally this is something your hearing specialist can do for you).
When I Use my Hearing Aid Voices Seem Muffled
When you listen to people talk, you want to be able to hear them clearly. That’s the overall reason why you got hearing aids to begin with! You didn’t want to miss out on one word. So it could be a bit discouraging if all the voices you hear when your wearing you’re hearing aid are muffled or hard to understand.
This normally occurs when you first use your hearing aids because your ears and brain aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s like they had a falling out or something).
The Solution: Keep practicing. Your brain is going to have to become accustomed to hearing language again, so putting yourself in situations where you can hear people conversing regularly will be helpful. Try reading along with closed caption to your favorite program or along with an audiobook. Simply having more conversations with the people around you is a great way to practice, as well.
Getting Solutions
The point is that no matter what your reason for not wearing your hearing aids might, there is a solution somewhere. And you have to wear your hearing aid consistently in order to safeguard your cognitive health and the well being of your hearing.
So if your hearing aids aren’t be working well for you? After determining the issue, find a solution, so you can help your hearing aids, and all that they help you hear, part of your daily life. If you believe your hearing aids require adjustment, get in touch with your hearing care professional right away.