Ever wish you could get the inside skinny on what hearing aids are actually like? What would your best friend say if you asked honest questions about what it sounds like, what it feels like, and how they actually feel about using one? Here’s a description of what hearing aids are like, but if you really want to understand, come in for a demo.
1. Hearing Aids Occasionally Have Feedback
No, not the kind you might get on a work evaluation. “Feedback “ is a high-pitched noise that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound coming from the speaker. Even modern microphone and speaker systems can have a sound loop created.
They may squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium just before the principal starts talking.
Although this can be uncomfortable, when hearing aids are correctly tuned, it’s rare. You may need to re-fit or replace the earmolds if this continues happening.
Some advanced hearing aids have a feedback cancellation system that recognizes feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Noisy Restaurant
If you suffer from neglected hearing loss, eating dinner with your family or friends in a noisy restaurant can seem like you’re eating by yourself. It’s virtually impossible to follow the conversations. You may find yourself sitting there, nodding and smiling most of the night.
But hearing aids nowadays have some really advanced technology that can cancel out background noise. The voices of your family and the restaurant staff become crystal clear.
3. At Times it Gets a Little Sticky
When something is not right, your body has a way of responding to it. If you eat something overly spicy hot, you produce more saliva to rinse it out. If you get something in your eye, you produce tears to flush your eye. Your ears have their own way of getting rid of a nuisance.
They make extra wax.
So it’s not surprising that individuals who wear hearing aids often get to deal with the buildup of earwax. Fortunately, it’s only wax and it’s not a big deal to clean the hearing aids. (We’ll teach you how.)
Once you’re done 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 has hearing loss, it very slowly begins to impact brain function if they don’t get it treated quickly.
One of the first things to go is the ability to understand what people are saying. Then memory, learning new things, and problem-solving become a challenge.
This brain atrophy can be stopped in its tracks by getting hearing aids sooner than later. They re-train your brain. Research shows that they can decrease mental decline and even reverse it. As a matter of fact, 80% of individuals had increased cognitive function, according to research carried out by the AARP, after using hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. The Batteries Need to be Replaced
Those little button batteries can be a little difficult to deal with. And these batteries seem to pick the worst time to lose power, like when you’re expecting a call from your doctor.
But straight forward solutions exist to reduce much of this perceived battery trouble. You can significantly extend battery life by using the proper methods. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, nowadays you can buy hearing aids that are rechargeable. Just dock it on the charger at night. In the morning, simply put them back on. You can even get some hearing aids with solar-powered chargers so you can charge them even if you are hiking or camping.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
Nowadays, hearing aids have advanced technology. It’s a lot easier than learning to use a computer for the first time. But adjusting to your new hearing aids will certainly take some time.
It progressively improves as you keep wearing your hearing aids. Try to be patient with yourself and the hearing aids throughout this transition.
Individuals who have stayed the course and worn their hearing aids for six months or more usually will say it’s all worth it.
Only actually wearing hearing aids can give you the experiencing of what they’re really like. If you want to figure it out, call us.
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html