Ever wish you could get the inside scoop on what hearing aids are truly like? How does a hearing aid feel when you have one on, 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 demo.
1. At Times You Get Feedback
No, not the kind you might get on a work evaluation. When a microphone and a speaker pick up each other’s signal, they interfere with each other creating a high-pitched screeching sound. It creates a sound loop that even modern speakers like the ones in hearing aids don’t know what to do with.
We’ve all heard this type of feedback right before somebody starts speaking into a microphone.
Though this can be uncomfortable, when hearing aids are properly tuned, it’s rare. If you’re encountering it, the earmold may not be correctly fitted or you need to replace it.
Some state-of-the-art hearing aids have a feedback cancellation system that identifies feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Loud Restaurant
If you suffer from untreated hearing loss, eating dinner with your family or friends in a loud restaurant can seem like you’re eating by yourself. Conversations are almost impossible to follow. You may wind up sitting there, nodding and smiling most of the night.
But modern hearing aids have the advanced noise blocking capability for background sound. The voices of your family and the restaurant staff become crystal clear.
3. Sometimes it Gets a Bit Sticky
When something isn’t right, your body has a way of responding to it. If you eat something too spicy hot, you produce more saliva to rinse it out. If you get something in your eye, you generate tears to wash your eye. Your ears also have a defense system of their own.
They produce extra wax.
Due to this, earwax buildup can sometimes be an issue for individuals who wear hearing aids. It’s only wax, luckily, so cleaning it isn’t an issue. (We’ll teach you how.)
Once you’re finished the cleaning you’re quickly back to good hearing.
4. There Are Advantages For Your Brain
You may be surprised by this one. When someone develops hearing loss, it very slowly starts to impact cognitive function if they don’t get it treated quickly.
Fully understanding spoken language is one of the first things to go. Then memory, learning new things, and solving problems become challenging.
Getting hearing aids sooner than later helps stop this brain atrophy. Your brain gets re-trained. Studies show that they can slow down mental decline and even reverse it. In fact, 80% of individuals had improved mental function, according to research conducted by the AARP, after using hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. The Batteries Have to be Replaced
Many individuals simply hate dealing with those tiny button batteries. And these batteries seem to pick the worst time to die, like when you’re waiting for a call from your doctor.
But most of the perceived challenges with these batteries can be quickly resolved. There are strategies you can use to greatly extend battery life. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, today you can buy rechargeable hearing aids. At night, just place them on the charging unit. Put it back on in the morning. You can even get some hearing aids with solar-powered charging docs so you can charge them even if you are hiking or camping.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
The technology of modern hearing aids is rather sophisticated. It’s much simpler than learning to use a computer for the first time. But adjusting to your new hearing aids will definitely take a little time.
The longer and more routinely you wear hearing aids the better it gets. Try to be patient with yourself and the hearing aids throughout this transition.
Individuals who have stayed the course and used their hearing aids for six months or more typically will say it’s all worth it.
Only actually using hearing aids can give you the experiencing of what they’re really like. If you want to figure it out, contact us.
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html
