Woman wearing hearing aids enjoys a hike with friends.

So you don’t use your hearing aids very often? Most of the time you leave them in the drawer unless you are, for example, going to the theater or to a party. Do you actually need to use them more often than that?

Over time, you create trouble for yourself if you’re not wearing your hearing aids regularly and that’s an issue. You could harm your hearing permanently. You could have problems with social isolation and mental decline. Your overall health may be compromised. This article will help you understand why you should be using your hearing aids.

Why Aren’t You Using Your Hearing Aid?

You probably have a good reason for keeping your hearing aids in a drawer somewhere. Sure, perhaps you haven’t really been honest about what those reasons are. Perhaps you evade 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? Usually, there’s an exact reason why you don’t use your hearing aids. And there’s also a very specific solution to your issue.

What follows are some of the most frequent complaints;

“My Hearing Aids Aren’t Comfortable”

Discomfort is one of the most frequently cited grounds for people not using their hearing aids. Often, the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or perhaps your over-the-ear model chafes in just the wrong spot, causing pain and tenderness.

Hearing aids aren’t supposed to be unpleasant, so something is surely wrong if they are causing any kind of discomfort. And it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to use a piece of technology that causes pain, frustration or soreness.

Possible solution: If your hearing aids are uncomfortable, consider setting up an additional or follow-up fitting appointment. It’s altogether feasible that the fit of your hearing aid simply requires a couple of quick alterations. Some designs can even be totally personalized to the shape and size of your ears. The more comfortable your hearing aid fits, the more likely you are to leave it in place for long periods of time.

My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality

Maybe you don’t wear your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. It’s not shocking that you have decided to put away your hearing aids for a special occasion, if that’s the case.”

This tinny or fuzzy sound can happen because hearing aids are doing complicated auditory processes at all times, filtering out some sounds while trying to amplify others. So if your settings aren’t correctly tweaked, the sound quality might seem unreliable.

Solution: There are two possible solutions to this problem: calibration and upkeep. Your hearing aids may be damaged in some form or another and require repairing. But your hearing specialist can do a basic calibration which is all your hearing aids may require.

When I Wear my Hearing Aid Voices Are Muffled

When you hear people talking, you want to be capable of hearing them clearly. That’s the overall reason you purchased hearing aids to begin with! You needed to be sure you didn’t miss out on any relevant interactions. So if all the voices you hear are hard to understand and sound muffled it may be a bit annoying.

This normally occurs when you first buy your hearing aids because your brain and ears aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s as if they had a falling out or something).

Solution: Practice. 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 closed caption while watching your favorite tv show or along with an audiobook. Another way to get some good practice is by simply having conversations with people you come in contact with.

Getting Answers

The point is that no matter what your reason for not using your hearing aids maybe, there is an answer somewhere. And you need to use your hearing aid consistently in order to safeguard your cognitive health and the health of your hearing.

So if you’re not wearing your hearing aids? Identify the problem and find a solution, so you can make your hearing aids, and everything that they help you hear, part of your daily life. If you suspect your hearing aids need adjustment, consult your hearing care professional as soon as possible.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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