What Is It Really Like Using Hearing Aids?

When it comes to treating hearing loss, hearing aids are one of the most common recommendations made by experts like your audiologist. This is because this technology is the best suited to help a very wide range of people, with varying levels of hearing loss.

As effective as hearing aids are, it’s not uncommon for people to feel a little uncertain about them at first. You might be curious as to what it’s like to use them, either because you might be using them soon, yourself or simply because you’re curious. Here are a few things you might like to know about them.

There is a Period of Adjustment

The vast majority of people who use hearing aids will get used to them very easily, but new users do need a period of adjustment. It can be an unusual feeling, wearing them for the first time and the level of difference in your hearing can even be a little overwhelming. However, your audiologist will work with you to help you get used to them.

You Get More Used to Them Over Time

Your audiologist helps you get used to your new hearing aids by working with you to schedule how long you should be wearing them for, every day. As such, they might recommend that you only wear them for a short period each day, initially. As time goes on, however, you will be advised to wear them for longer periods of time. Eventually, you will be wearing them all day without any issues. By the time that you’re used to them, you will be more used to living with your hearing aids in your ears than life without them.

Learning to Care for Them

One of the most important parts of using hearing aids and adjusting your lifestyle to them is making sure that you’re giving them the proper care. Even though hearing aids are being designed to be more resilient and resistant to damage, they are comprised of complex technology and require your care. This will mean cleaning them on a regular basis, every day if possible. Most hearing aids come with a cleaning tool and explicit instructions to help you get used to cleaning them.

Another important part of hearing aid care is keeping them safe from moisture. This means not wearing them when you’re bathing, showering, washing your face or swimming. Similarly, you should avoid wearing them when it’s raining heavily, and make sure that your hearing aids are kept in their storage compartment with the batteries removed when you’re not wearing them.

The Quality-of-Life Improvements Are Worth It

If you ask most people who use hearing aids, they will emphatically agree the adjustment period involved and the routine care that your hearing aids require is well worth the quality-of-life improvements that come with them. There have been studies to confirm that hearing aids improve quality of life in an objective sense, but it’s easy to see how they can.

They can enable you to participate in an active and social lifestyle, bolstering your relationships and helping you avoid the isolation that is so common with untreated hearing loss, not to mention the mental health issues associated with isolation and loneliness. They can improve your confidence, allow you to work more effectively and reduce the tiredness and stress that is often caused by straining to hear others.

They Become Less Noticeable Over Time

When you first wear your hearing aids, even the discreet kinds may feel very noticeable at first. You’re likely to see them when you look in the mirror because you’re specifically looking for them. The same is true of the people closest to you.

However, aside from acclimating and getting used to them, you will not think to pay much notice to whether or not they are visible. They will become of your daily life and, as such, their novelty will wear off. You and those close to you will get used to them, often sooner than you might expect.

Your Audiologist Is Here to Help

If you ever plan on wearing a hearing aid to combat hearing loss, or you simply want to know more about your hearing and ear health, your audiologist is going to be the best source of help and advice. Get in touch with Clifton Springs Hearing Center at 315-496-4314 to answer any questions and make an appointment so that you can get the assistance you need.