Ever wish you could get the inside skinny on what hearing aids are truly like? What would your best friend say if you asked honest questions about what it sounds like, what it feels like, and how they really feel about wearing one? Here’s a description of what hearing aids are like, but if you truly want to understand, come see us for a demo.
1. At Times You Get Feedback
No, not the kind you might receive on a work evaluation. When a microphone and a speaker pick up each other’s signal, they interfere with each other causing a high-pitched whistling sound. It creates a sound loop that even advanced speakers like those in hearing aids don’t know how to handle.
We’ve all heard this type of feedback right before someone starts speaking into a microphone.
Although this can be uncomfortable, when hearing aids are properly tuned, it’s rare. If you’re experiencing it, the earmold might not be properly fitted or you need to replace it.
Feedback can be removed, in some more advanced hearing aids, by a built-in feedback suppression system.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Noisy Restaurant
If you suffer from untreated hearing loss, having dinner with your family or friends in a noisy restaurant can seem like you’re eating by yourself. It’s nearly impossible to follow the conversations. You might end up sitting there, nodding and smiling most of the night.
But hearing aids today have some pretty sophisticated technology that can cancel out background noise. The voices of your family and the wait staff become crystal clear.
3. Sometimes it Gets a Bit Sticky
When something is not right, your body has a way of reacting to it. If you eat something too spicy hot, you secrete more saliva to rinse it out. You will produce tears if something gets into your eye. Your ears have their own way of removing a nuisance.
They produce extra wax.
As a result of this, earwax buildup can sometimes be an issue for individuals who use hearing aids. Thankfully, it’s only wax and it’s not a problem to clean the hearing aids. (We can help you learn how.)
Once you’re done the cleaning you’re quickly back to good hearing.
4. There Are Benefits For Your Brain
You may be surprised by this one. When somebody has hearing loss, it very gradually begins to impact cognitive function if they don’t have it treated quickly.
Accurately understanding spoken language is one of the first things you lose. Problem solving, learning new things, and memory will then become difficult.
This brain atrophy can be slowed by wearing hearing aids sooner than later. Your brain gets re-trained. They can slow and even reverse cognitive decline according to many studies. As a matter of fact, 80% of people had improved mental function, according to research conducted by the AARP, after using hearing aids to manage their hearing loss.
5. You Have to Replace The Batteries
Those tiny button batteries can be somewhat challenging to deal with. And these batteries seem to choose the worst time to die, like when you’re waiting for a call from your doctor.
But straight forward solutions exist to alleviate much of this perceived battery trouble. There are strategies 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, currently you can purchase rechargeable hearing aids. When you go to bed, just put them on the charger. In the morning, just put them back on. There are also solar-powered hearing aid docks so you can even recharge your hearing aid when you’re fishing. camping, or hiking.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
The technology of modern hearing aids is rather advanced. It isn’t as hard as learning to operate a new computer. But it definitely takes a little time for your brain to adapt to new hearing aids and to get the settings right.
It steadily gets better as you continue to wear your hearing aids. Throughout this adjustment time, try to be patient with yourself and your new hearing aids.
Individuals who have stayed the course and worn their hearing aids for six months or more typically will say it’s all worth it.
This is what it’s really like to wear hearing aids. If you want to figure it out, give us a call.
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html
