So you don’t use your hearing aids very often? 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 wear them more often than that?
The problem is that when you don’t use your hearing aids on a regular basis, you’re creating some troubling shortcomings for yourself in the long run. Your hearing may get significantly worse. Cognitive decline and social isolation could be the outcome. You could compromise your general health. So, if you aren’t using your hearing aids, you should certainly be reading 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. You might have decided to keep those reasons to yourself. Maybe you brush off the questions from your family when they ask why you don’t wear them.
Stilted dialogue aside, we know that’s not the complete story, right? If you dig a little deeper, you’ll probably find that there’s a specific complaint at the heart of your infrequent hearing aid use. And there’s also a very exact solution to your issue.
Some of the most frequent grievances consist of the examples below;
“My Hearing Aids Don’t Feel That Comfortable”
One of the most regularly cited reasons that people discontinue wearing their hearing aids frequently is discomfort. Maybe the hearing aid won’t stop falling out of your ear. Or maybe your over-the-ear model chafes in just the wrong spot, causing pain and tenderness.
It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to wear hearing aids, so if they’re causing irritation of any sort, something is surely wrong. And it’s logical that you wouldn’t want to wear a piece of technology that creates soreness, pain, or frustration.
Possible solution: If you’re uncomfortable with your hearing aids, a follow-up fitting session is something you should consider. A few little tweaks may be all your hearing aid requires. The size and shape of your ear can even be the basis of a complete customization of some models. The more comfortable your hearing aid fits, the more likely you are to keep the device in place for long periods of time.
My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality
Maybe you don’t use your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. If that’s the circumstance, it’s not surprising that you’ve opted to store your hearing aids in a drawer somewhere and save them for “special occasions”.”
Hearing aids are doing complicated auditory functions all the time as they increase some sounds while getting rid of others and that can cause a tinny or fuzzy sound. So if your settings aren’t properly adjusted, the sound quality might seem unreliable.
Solution: There are two possible solutions to this issue: upkeep and calibration. Your hearing aids may be damaged in some form or another and require repairing. But your hearing specialist can perform a simple calibration which is all that your hearing aids may require.
Voices Seem Muffled When I Use my Hearing Aids
When you listen to people talk, you want to be able to hear them clearly. That’s the entire reason you got hearing aids in the first place! You didn’t want to miss out on one word. So it could be a bit aggravating if all the voices you hear when your wearing you’re hearing aid are muffled or difficult to comprehend.
Because your ears and brain aren’t communicating effectively anymore, this issue usually happens when you first get your hearing aids.
The Remedy: Keep practicing. Your brain is going to have to get used to hearing language again, so whatever you can do to get some repetition will help. Try reading along with an audiobook or reading along with the closed captioning while you watch NCIS. Just having more conversations with the people around you is a perfect way to get some practice, too.
Finding Answers
The point is regardless of what your reason for not using your hearing aids might, there is a solution somewhere. And you need to use your hearing aid regularly in order to safeguard your cognitive health and the well being of your hearing.
So if you’re not using your hearing aids? Recognize the problem and come up with a solution, so you can get active in your life again. If you suspect your hearing aids require adjustment, contact your hearing care professional right away.