So, it’s not very often that you use your hearing aids? Perhaps you put them in when you go to a party or go to the theater, but in most cases, you leave them in your drawer. Do you actually need to use them more often than that?
The concern is that when you don’t use your hearing aids regularly, you’re creating some troubling shortcomings for yourself over time. Your hearing may get significantly worse. You could have problems with cognitive decline or social isolation. Your overall health might be affected. So, if you are not wearing your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Why Aren’t You Using Your Hearing Aid?
You most likely have a good excuse for keeping your hearing aids in a somewhere in a drawer. You may have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Maybe, when your family asks, you might even say something generic and evasive, such as, “I just don’t like them”.
Stilted dialogue to the side, we know that’s not the full story, right? Normally, there’s a specific reason why you don’t use your hearing aids. And there’s also a very exact solution to your problem.
Some of the most common complaints consist of the following;
“My Hearing Aids Don’t Feel That Comfortable”
One of the most commonly reported reasons that individuals discontinue wearing their hearing aids frequently is discomfort. Perhaps the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or perhaps pain and tenderness are happening in just the wrong spot with your over-the-ear model.
It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to use hearing aids, so something is most definitely wrong if they are creating any sort of irritation. And it’s easy to understand that you wouldn’t want to wear a piece of technology that creates soreness, pain, or frustration.
Possible solution: If your hearing aids are not comfortable, a follow-up fitting appointment is something you should think about. A few little tweaks might be all your hearing aid requires. Some models can even be entirely customized to the size and shape of your ears. The more comfortable your hearing aid is, 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
Maybe you find the sound of your hearing aid to be too tinny or fuzzy so you don’t wear them that often. It’s not shocking that you’ve decided to put away your hearing aids for a special occasion, if that’s the situation.”
Hearing aids are completing complex auditory functions all of the time as they amplify some sounds while filtering out others and that can result in a fuzzy or tinny sound. So if your settings aren’t properly adjusted, the sound quality may seem unreliable.
Solution: There are two potential answers to this difficulty: upkeep and calibration. Your hearing aids may be damaged in some form or another and need to be
repaired. But it might be possible that they basically need a simple calibration (generally this is something your hearing specialist can take care of for you).
Voices Are Muffled With my Hearing Aids
You want to hear voices clearly. When you first bought hearing aids that was the whole point! You needed to make sure you didn’t miss out on any relevant interactions. So it may be a little bit discouraging if all the voices you hear when your wearing you’re hearing aid sound muffled or difficult to understand.
Because your brain and ears aren’t communicating effectively anymore, this problem usually occurs when you first get your hearing aids.
The Solution: Practice. Understanding what people are saying is something your brain will need to become accustomed to, so anything you can do to help provide some repetition will help. Try reading along with closed caption while watching your favorite tv show or along with an audiobook. Just having more discussions with the people who are around you is a great way to get some practice, too.
Finding Solutions
You can find a solution no matter what the reason you’re not using your hearing aid. And you have to wear your hearing aid consistently in order to protect your cognitive health and the well being of your hearing.
So if you’re not wearing your hearing aids? Identify the issue and come up with a solution, so you can get active in your life again. If you believe your hearing aids need adjustment, contact your hearing care professional now.
