Ever wish you could get the inside skinny on what hearing aids are truly like? How does a hearing aid feel when you have one on, what does it 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 really want to know, come in for a demonstration.
1. Occasionally You Get Feedback
This isn’t the type of feedback that you get when someone tells you how they feel about your results. When a microphone and a speaker detect each other’s signal, they interfere with each other causing a high-pitched screeching sound. It creates a sound loop that even modern speakers like those in hearing aids don’t know how to handle.
They may squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium right before the principal starts talking.
While this might sound terrible, and it is unpleasant, it is rare when a hearing aid is properly tuned. You might need to re-fit or replace the earmolds if this continues happening.
Some advanced hearing aids have a feedback suppression system that recognizes feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. You Can Hear 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 nearly impossible to keep up with. You may wind up sitting there, smiling and nodding most of the night.
But hearing aids nowadays have some really sophisticated technology that can cancel out background noise. The voices of your family and the wait staff become crystal clear.
3. It Gets a Bit Sticky Sometimes
When something is not right, your body has a way of responding to it. If you eat something overly spicy hot, you secrete more saliva to rinse it out. You will produce tears if something gets into your eye. Your ears have their own way of eliminating a nuisance.
They produce extra wax.
So it’s no surprise that those who wear hearing aids frequently get to manage wax buildup. It’s only wax, luckily, so cleaning it isn’t a problem. (We can help you learn how.)
Once you’re finished the cleaning you’re quickly back in business.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
You may be surprised by this one. If someone begins developing hearing loss it will gradually impact cognitive function as it progresses.
Fully understanding spoken language is one of the first things to go. Then memory, learning new things, and problem-solving become a difficulty.
This brain atrophy can be slowed by getting hearing aids as soon as you can. They re-train your brain. Research shows that they can slow down cognitive decline and even reverse it. As a matter of fact, one study reported by AARP revealed that 80% of people had increased cognitive function after managing their hearing loss.
5. You Have to Replace The Batteries
Those little button batteries can be a bit challenging to manage. And they seem to die at the worst times, like when you’re about to find out “whodunnit” in a mystery movie, or just as your friend is telling you the juicy particulars of a story.
But simple solutions exist to reduce much of this perceived battery hassle. You can greatly extend battery life by implementing the proper strategies. It’s not hard to bring an extra set because these batteries are inexpensive and small.
Or, you can buy a pair of rechargeable hearing aids which are available nowadays. At night, just place them on the charger. In the morning, simply put them back on. 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 quite sophisticated. It isn’t as hard as learning to use a new computer. But getting used to your new hearing aids will definitely take some time.
It steadily improves as you continue to wear your hearing aids. During this adjustment period, try to be patient with yourself and your new hearing aids.
People who have stayed the course and used their hearing aids for six months or more usually will say it’s all worth it.
This is what it’s really like to wear hearing aids. If you want to figure it out, give us a call.
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References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html