Ever wish you could get the inside scoop on what hearing aids are really like? What would your good friend say if you asked candid questions about what it sounds like, what it feels like, and how they actually feel about wearing one? If you truly want to know what hearing aids are like, you need to come in for a demonstration, but for now, keep reading for a description of what you can expect.
1. At Times You Get Feedback
This isn’t the type of feedback that you get when somebody tells you how they feel about your results. When a microphone and a speaker pick up each other’s signal, they interfere with each other creating a high-pitched whistling sound. Even modern microphone and speaker systems can have a sound loop created.
They might squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium just before the principal starts talking.
While this may sound terrible, and it is uncomfortable, it is rare when a hearing aid is correctly maintained. If you’re experiencing it, the earmold may not be correctly fitted or you need to replace it.
Some advanced hearing aids have a feedback suppression system that recognizes feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Loud Restaurant
Eating dinner out with the family can seem like eating dinner by yourself if you have untreated hearing loss. It’s nearly impossible to follow the conversations. You might find yourself sitting there, nodding and smiling most of the night.
But hearing aids today have some pretty advanced technology that can drown out background noise. The voices of your family and the wait staff become crystal clear.
3. Sometimes it Gets a Bit Sticky
Your body has a way of letting you know when something doesn’t belong. 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 getting rid of a nuisance.
Earwax production.
As a result of this, earwax accumulation can occasionally be an issue for people who use hearing aids. Thankfully, it’s just wax and it’s not a big deal to clean the hearing aids. (We’ll teach you how.)
Once you’re finished the cleaning you’re quickly back to good hearing.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
This one might surprise you. When a person has hearing loss, it very slowly starts to affect brain function if they don’t have it treated quickly.
One of the first things to go is the ability to understand the spoken language. Problem solving, learning new things, and memory will then become challenging.
This brain atrophy can be slowed by getting hearing aids sooner than later. Your brain gets re-trained. They can slow and even reverse mental decline according to numerous studies. As a matter of fact, one study reported by AARP showed that 80% of individuals had increased cognitive function after managing their hearing loss.
5. The Batteries Have to be Replaced
Those tiny button batteries can be a little difficult to manage. And they seem to run out of juice 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 many of the perceived challenges with these batteries can be easily solved. There are methods you can use to greatly extend battery life. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, you can buy a set of rechargeable hearing aids which are available nowadays. At night, simply put them on the charger. Put it back on in the morning. You can even get some hearing aids that have solar-powered charging docs so you can charge them even if you are hiking or camping.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
Today, hearing aids have advanced technology. It’s a lot easier than learning to use a computer for the first time. But it certainly takes a little time for your brain to get used to new hearing aids and to get the configurations right.
It steadily improves as you continue to wear your hearing aids. Try to be patient with yourself and the hearing aids during 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.
This is what it’s actually like to wear hearing aids. If you want to figure it out, contact us.
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References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html