Ever wish you could get the inside skinny on what hearing aids are truly like? How does a hearing aid feel when you’re wearing one, what is the 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 explanation of what you can expect.
1. Hearing Aids Sometimes Get Feedback
This isn’t the type of feedback that you get when someone tells you how they feel about your results. “Feedback “ is a high-pitched sound that a speaker makes when its microphone picks up the sound produced by the speaker. It causes a sound loop that even modern speakers like the ones in hearing aids don’t know what to do with.
They may squeal like a speaker in the school auditorium just before the principal speaks.
While this may sound mortifying, and it is uncomfortable, it is rare when a hearing aid is properly maintained. You might need to re-fit or replace the earmolds if this keeps happening.
Some state-of-the-art hearing aids have a feedback cancellation system that recognizes feedback and stops it in its tracks.
2. Conversations Are Easier to Follow in a Loud Setting
Eating dinner out with the family can seem like eating dinner alone if you have neglected hearing loss. It’s nearly impossible to follow the conversations. You may wind up sitting there, smiling and nodding most of the night.
But hearing aids today have some really advanced technology that can drown out background noise. They bring the voices of your children and the wait staff into crystal clarity.
3. At Times it Gets a Little Sticky
When something is not right, your body has a way of reacting to it. Your body will produce saliva if you eat something too spicy. If you get something in your eye, you generate tears to flush your eye. Your ears also have a defense system of their own.
Earwax production.
So it’s hardly surprising that people who wear hearing aids often get to deal with the buildup of earwax. Fortunately, it’s only wax and it’s not a problem to clean the hearing aids. (We can help you learn how.)
Once you’re finished the cleaning you’re quickly back in business.
4. Your Brain Will Also Get The Benefit
You might be surprised by this one. If somebody starts to develop hearing loss it will gradually affect cognitive function as it progresses.
Accurately understanding what people are saying is one of the first things to go. Then memory, learning new things, and problem-solving become challenging.
This brain atrophy can be stopped in its tracks by getting hearing aids as soon as you can. They re-train your brain. They can decrease and even reverse mental decline according to many studies. As a matter of fact, 80% of people had improved cognitive function, according to research conducted by the AARP, after using hearing aids to treat their hearing loss.
5. You Need to Replace The Batteries
Many individuals simply hate dealing with those little button batteries. 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 most of the perceived difficulties with these batteries can be easily resolved. You can greatly extend battery life by using the right methods. 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. When you go to bed, simply place them on the charging unit. 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 camping or hiking.
6. There’s a Learning Curve
Nowadays, hearing aids have sophisticated technology. It’s not as hard 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 settings right.
It gradually improves as you continue to wear your hearing aids. Throughout this adjustment period, try to be patient with yourself and your new hearing aids.
People who have stayed the course and used their hearing aids for six months or more typically will say it’s all worth it.
Only actually using hearing aids can give you the experiencing of what they’re really like. Isn’t it time to find out for yourself?
References
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss-linked-to-dementia.html