Ever ask yourself “what would it truly be like to wear hearing aids”? How does a hearing aid feel when you’re wearing one, 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? If you really want to know what hearing aids are like, you need to come in for a demonstration, but for now, keep reading for an outline of what you can expect.
1. Hearing Aids Occasionally Get Feedback
This isn’t the type of feedback that you get when somebody tells you how they feel about your performance. “Feedback “ is a high-pitched noise that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound produced by the speaker. Even modern microphone and speaker systems can have sound loops created.
They may squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium just before the principal speaks.
While this may sound terrible, and it is unpleasant, it is rare when a hearing aid is properly maintained. If you’re experiencing it, the earmold might not be correctly fitted or you need to replace it.
Some advanced hearing aids have a feedback suppression system that identifies feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. You Can Follow Conversations in a Loud Restaurant
Going to a restaurant with the family can feel like eating dinner alone if you have untreated hearing loss. It’s nearly impossible to follow the conversations. You may wind up sitting there, nodding and smiling most of the night.
But today’s hearing aids have the advanced ability to block out background noise. They bring the voices of your children and the servers into crystal clarity.
3. It Gets a Bit Sticky at Times
Your body has a way of telling you when something shouldn’t be there. Your body will create saliva if you eat something too spicy. You will generate tears if something gets in your eye. Your ears also possess a defense system of their own.
Earwax production.
So it’s no surprise that individuals who wear hearing aids often get to manage wax buildup. Thankfully, it’s just wax and it’s not a problem to clean the hearing aids. (We’ll show you how.)
Once you’re done the cleaning you’re quickly back to good hearing.
4. There Are Advantages For Your Brain
This one might surprise you. If someone starts to develop hearing loss it will gradually impact cognitive function as it progresses.
One of the first things you lose is the ability to understand the spoken language. Solving problems, learning new things, and memory will then become challenging.
Getting hearing aids sooner than later helps slow this brain atrophy. Your brain gets re-trained. Research shows that they can decrease cognitive decline and even reverse it. As a matter of fact, 80% of individuals had increased mental function, according to research conducted by the AARP, after using hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. You Need to Replace The Batteries
Those tiny button batteries can be a bit difficult 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 straight forward solutions exist to reduce much of this perceived battery trouble. You can greatly increase battery life by implementing the correct strategies. The batteries are small and inexpensive, so it’s easy to carry an extra set in your wallet.
Or, nowadays you can purchase hearing aids that are rechargeable. When you go to bed, just put them on the charger. Put it back on in the morning. You can even get some hearing aids with solar-powered chargers so they will be available to you even if you are camping or hiking.
6. You Will Have a Learning Curve
The technology of modern-day hearing aids is rather advanced. It isn’t as difficult as learning to use a new computer. 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 keep wearing your hearing aids. Try to be patient with yourself and your hearing aids during this transition.
Anybody who’s been wearing a set of hearing aids for six months or more will tell you that it’s worth it.
This is what it’s actually like to use 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