Ever wish you could get the inside skinny on what hearing aids are actually like? How does a hearing aid feel when you’re wearing one, what is the 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? Here’s a description of what hearing aids are like, but if you truly want to understand, come in for a demonstration.
1. At Times You Get Feedback
This isn’t the kind of feedback that you get when somebody tells you how what they think about your results. “Feedback “ is a high-pitched noise that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound coming from the speaker. It produces 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 right before the principal speaks.
Although this can be uncomfortable, when hearing aids are properly tuned, it’s rare. You might need to re-fit or replace the earmolds if this keeps happening.
Feedback can be eliminated, in some more advanced hearing aids, by a built-in feedback cancellation system.
2. Conversations Are Easier to Hear in a Loud Setting
Going to a restaurant with the family can feel like eating dinner alone if you have neglected hearing loss. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the conversations. Most of the night, you may find yourself just nodding and smiling.
But hearing aids today have some pretty sophisticated technology that can drown out background noise. They bring the voices of your family and the wait staff into crystal clearness.
3. It Gets a Little Sticky Sometimes
Your body has a way of telling you when something shouldn’t be there. If you eat something too spicy hot, you produce more saliva to rinse it out. You will make tears if something gets into your eye. Your ears also have a defense system of their own.
Earwax production.
So it’s hardly surprising that those who wear hearing aids frequently get to manage wax buildup. Luckily, it’s only wax and it’s not a big deal to clean the hearing aids. (We’ll show you how.)
Once you’re done the cleaning you’re quickly back to good hearing.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
This one might surprise you. When a person has hearing loss, it very slowly begins to impact cognitive function if they don’t have it treated as soon as possible.
One of the first things to go is the ability to comprehend the spoken language. Solving problems, learning new things, and memory will then become challenging.
Getting hearing aids sooner than later helps slow this brain atrophy. Your brain gets re-trained. Studies show that they can slow down cognitive decline and even reverse it. In fact, 80% of individuals had increased cognitive function, according to a study conducted by the AARP, after wearing hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. You Need to Replace The Batteries
Those little button batteries can be a bit challenging to deal with. And they seem to run out of juice 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 many of the perceived difficulties with these batteries can be quickly solved. There are strategies you can use to greatly increase battery life. It’s not hard to bring an extra set because these batteries are inexpensive and small.
Or, nowadays you can buy rechargeable hearing aids. Just put it on the charger at night. Put it back on in the morning. There are also solar-powered hearing aid chargers so you can even recharge your hearing aid while out fishing. camping, or hiking.
6. You Will Experience a Learning Curve
The technology of modern-day hearing aids is quite sophisticated. It isn’t as difficult as learning to operate a new computer. But it certainly takes a little time for your brain to adapt to new hearing aids and to get the configurations right.
It steadily improves as you keep wearing your hearing aids. Try to be patient with yourself and the hearing aids throughout this transition.
Anybody who’s been using a pair of hearing aids for 6 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. If you want to find out, contact us.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html
