Congrats! You’ve just become the proud owner of hearing aids – a great piece of modern tech. But, as with all new devices, there will be things that hearing aid owners wish someone had informed them about.

Let’s examine how a new hearing aid owner can eliminate the 9 most common hearing aid mistakes.

1. Neglecting to understand hearing aid functionality

Or, more specifically, know how your hearing aid works. It probably has exclusive features that considerably enhance the hearing experience in different settings such as restaurants, movie theaters, or walking down the street.

It may be able to sync wirelessly to your smartphone, TV, or stereo. Additionally, it might have a specific setting that helps you hear on the phone.

If you fail to learn about these features, it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut by using your technologically-sophisticated hearing aid in a basic way. Modern hearing aids do more than simply raise the volume of external sounds.

Practice using your hearing aid in different places in order to learn how to attain the clearest sound quality. Test out how well you hear by getting a friend or family member to help you.

After a bit of practice, as with anything new, it will get easier. And your hearing experience will be 10X better than when you simply raise and lower the volume.

2. Expecting immediate improvement in your hearing

In line with number one, many new hearing aid users think their hearing will be optimal as they leave the office. This isn’t a correct assumption. It normally takes up to a month for most new users to get comfortable with their new hearing aids. But stay positive. The time you take is easily worth it according to those who are diligent.

Give yourself a few days, after getting home, to get used to your new experience. It’s like breaking in a new pair of shoes. Sometimes, you will need to go slow and use your new hearing aids a little at a time.

Start in a calm setting with a friend where you’re just talking. It can be somewhat disorienting initially because people’s voices might sound different. Ask your friends if you’re speaking too loud and make the required adjustments.

Slowly begin to go to new places and wear the hearing aid for longer periods of time.

You will have wonderful hearing experiences ahead of you if you can only be patient with yourself.

3. Not being truthful about your degree of hearing loss at your hearing exam

In order to be sure you get the right hearing aid technology, it’s important to answer any questions we may ask honestly.

Go back and get another test if you realize you may not have been completely honest after you get your hearing aids. Getting it straight the first time is easier. The hearing aid type and style that will be best for you will be determined by the degree and kind of hearing loss you have.

For instance, some hearing aids are better for people with hearing loss in the high-frequency range. Others will be better for those with mid-frequency hearing loss and so on.

4. Failing to have your hearing aid fitted

Your hearing aids need to handle several requirements at once: They need to efficiently amplify sound, they need to be easy to put in and take out, and they need to be comfortable in your ears. Your hearing aid fitting is intended to correctly calibrate all three of those variables for your individual requirements.

When you’re getting fitted, you might:

• Have your hearing tested to determine the power level of your hearing aid.
• Have your ears precisely measured or have molds made (or both).

5. Not tracking your results

Once you’ve been fitted, it’s important to take notes on how your hearing aid feels and performs. Make a note if you are having difficulty hearing in a large room. Make a note if one ear feels tighter than the other. If everything feels great, make a note. With this information, we can customize the settings of your hearing aid so it functions at peak efficiency and comfort.

6. Not anticipating how you’ll utilize your hearing aids

Water-resistant hearing aids are available. Others, however, can be damaged or even ruined by water. Some have advanced features you may be willing to pay more for because you enjoy certain activities.

You can ask our opinion but the decision must be yours. You won’t wear your hearing aid if it doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle and only you know what features you will utilize.

You and your hearing aid will be together for a number of years. So if you really need certain features, you shouldn’t settle for less.

Some other things to take into consideration

• To be very satisfied, talk about these preferences before your fitting.
• You may want something that is extremely automated. Or maybe you’re more of a do-it-yourself kind of person. Is an extended battery life important to you?
• How obvious your hearing aid is might be something you’re worried about. Or, you might want to make a bold statement.

Throughout the fitting process we can address many of the challenges regarding lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. Also, you may be able to try out your hearing aids before you commit to a purchase. This demo period will help you figure out which brand will be best for your requirements.

7. Not correctly maintaining your hearing aids

The majority of hearing aids are quite sensitive to moisture. If you live in a humid place, acquiring a dehumidifier might be worth the money. Keeping your hearing aid in the bathroom where people take baths or showers is a bad idea.

Always wash your hands before handling the hearing aid or batteries. Oils found normally on your hand can impact how well the hearing aid works and the life of the batteries.

The hearing aid shouldn’t be allowed to accumulate earwax and skin cells. Instead, the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures should be implemented.

The life and function of your hearing aid will be improved by taking these simple steps.

8. Not having spare batteries

New hearing aid users frequently learn this lesson at the worst times. When you’re about to learn who did it at the crucial moment of your favorite show, your batteries die without warning.

Your battery life depends, like any electronic device, on the outside environment and how you use it. So even if you just changed your batteries, keep a spare set with you. Don’t miss something important because of an unpredictable battery.

9. Neglecting your hearing exercises

You may assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first get them. But the parts of your brain in charge of interpreting sound are also affected by hearing loss not only your ears.

Once you get your hearing aids, you’ll be able to begin the work of restoring some of those ear-to-brain pathways and links. This may occur quite naturally for some people, especially if the hearing loss was somewhat recent. But for others, an intentional approach might be required to get your hearing back to normal again. The following are a couple of prevalent strategies.

Reading out loud

One of the best ways you can recreate those connections between your ears and your brain is to spend some time reading out loud. It may feel a bit silly at first, but don’t allow that to stop you. You’re practicing reconnecting the feeling of saying words with the sounds they make. The more you establish those connections, the better your hearing (and your hearing aid) will work.

Audiobooks

You can always use audiobooks if reading out loud isn’t attractive to you. You can buy (or rent from the library) a physical copy of a book and the audiobook version of that same text. Then, you read along with the book as the audiobook plays. You’ll hear a word as you’re reading it just like reading out loud. And that helps the hearing-and-language region of your brain get used to hearing (and understanding) speech again.

Call Today to Set Up an Appointment

Resources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/