So you don’t wear your hearing aids very often? Most of the time you keep them in the drawer unless you are, for instance, going to the theater or to a party. Do you actually need to wear them more often than that?
In the long run, you create trouble for yourself if you’re not wearing your hearing aids regularly and that’s a problem. Your hearing could get significantly worse. Social isolation and cognitive decline could be the outcome. You could compromise your general health. So, if you are not using your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Why Are Your Hearing Aids Not in
You most likely have a good excuse for keeping your hearing aids in a somewhere in a drawer. Sure, maybe you haven’t really been forthcoming about what those reasons might be. Maybe you brush off the questions from your family when they ask why you don’t wear them.
Certainly, though, there’s more to it than that. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll probably find that there’s a specific complaint at the heart of your irregular hearing aid use. Specific complaints are positive because they generate the possibility to find an equally specific remedy.
Some of the most common issues consist of the following;
“My Hearing Aids Don’t Feel That Comfortable”
Discomfort is one of the most commonly reported grounds for people not using their hearing aids. Perhaps the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or maybe tenderness and pain 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 causing discomfort of any sort, something is definitely wrong. And it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to wear a piece of technology that creates soreness, pain, or frustration.
Possible solution: If your hearing aids are uncomfortable, a follow-up fitting appointment is something you should think about. It’s quite feasible that the way your hearing aid fits just needs a few quick alterations. The shape and size of your ear can even be the foundation of an entire customization of some models. The more comfortable your hearing aid is, the more likely you are to leave the device in place for long periods of time.
My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality
Perhaps you don’t use your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. If that’s the situation, it’s not surprising that you’ve decided to store your hearing aids in a drawer somewhere and save them for “special occasions”.”
This tinny or fuzzy sound can happen because hearing aids are performing complicated auditory processes all the time, filtering out some sounds while trying to amplify others. So if your settings aren’t correctly adjusted, the sound quality might seem unreliable.
Solution: This problem has two potential answer: maintenance and calibration. It could be that your hearing aids are damaged in some form or another and require repairs. But it’s also possible that they basically need a simple calibration (normally this is something your hearing specialist can take care of for you).
Voices Seem Muffled When I Use my Hearing Aids
You want to hear voices clearly. That’s the overall reason you purchased hearing aids in the first place! You wanted to make certain you didn’t miss any relevant discussions. So if all the voices you hear are difficult to understand and sound muffled it might be a little bit annoying.
Because your ears and brain aren’t communicating very well anymore, this issue normally occurs when you first purchase your hearing aids.
The Solution: Keep practicing. Comprehending conversations is something your brain will have to get used to, so putting yourself in a position to hear people talking regularly will be helpful. Try reading along with closed caption to your favorite tv show or along with an audiobook. Just having more conversations with the people around you is a perfect way to get some practice, too.
Finding Answers
You can find a solution no matter what the reason you’re not wearing your hearing aid. And it is imperative, both for your hearing health and for your cognitive fitness, that you use your hearing aids regularly.
So if you’re not using your hearing aids? Identify the problem and come up with a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you suspect your hearing aids require adjustment, contact your hearing care expert now.
