Hearing aids are wonderful devices that are able to provide all manner of quality-of-life improvements to those who experience hearing loss. It’s for that reason that they’re the single most commonly recommended treatment by audiologists. However, while hearing aids are being designed to be easier to use and to fit all manner of needs better than ever before, there are still some mistakes that new users can make all too frequently. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.
Not Expecting an Adjustment Period
The benefits of a hearing aid are something that you’re going to feel almost immediately. It can be a legitimately profound moment when you put them in for the first time and hear the improvements to your range of hearing. That said, this change is so major it can be a little overwhelming. A lot of people find that they can’t wear their hearing aids for too long at first and, as such, have to acclimate to them over time.
Your audiologist can help you schedule how often you wear your hearing aids each day so that you get more and more acclimated to them until you can happily wear them all day, outside of when you’re in bed or in the bathroom.
Not Understanding How to Properly Use Them
Hearing aids are complex devices and most of them offer some level of adjustment so that you can better suit them to fit your needs. You might be able to wear your device in a broader range of environments by, for instance, learning how to program it to match your needs. There are also features such as directional microphones and Bluetooth connections that could see you get a lot more versatility from your device than you might otherwise.
Skipping a Fitting with an Audiologist
With the rise of hearing aids that you can get over the counter, there may be a temptation to skip the help that an audiologist can provide by choosing and fitting a hearing aid yourself. However, even if you do choose the right device for you, the fitting process itself can be a little more complex than some give it credit for.
If you don’t learn how to fit your hearing aid in properly, you can end up with a loose hearing aid, which can lead to problems with feedback, which is an unpleasant, high-pitched whistling noise. Otherwise, if it’s too tight, it’s not going to be too comfortable to wear. An audiologist can provide a thorough fitting to make sure that these issues don’t affect you too badly.
Misrepresenting Your Hearing Ability During Your Hearing Test
The aim of a hearing test is not to prove how good your hearing is. Unfortunately, some patients tend to exaggerate their level of hearing, misrepresenting it by saying they can hear certain tones even when they can’t. There can be some uncertainty as to whether patients did or did not hear tones on the edge of their hearing, so not every incorrect response is down to dishonesty, but your audiologist will account for a certain margin of error. It is important, however, to be as honest as possible to ensure that your audiologist can help choose the best device suited to your needs.
Not Taking Proper Care of Your Hearing Aid
Hearing aids are pretty sophisticated technology. Even though they’re getting more resilient, if you don’t take care of them, they can experience wear and tear, as well as issues such as faults due to exposure to moisture, or earwax that is clogging up parts of the device. Make sure that you clean your hearing aid every single day, and don’t wear it in the bathroom or when lying down. Put your hearing aid in its storage case and make sure that you take the batteries out before you do. If you need any help maintaining your hearing aid, your audiologist is always there.
When in Doubt, Ask Your Audiologist
If you’re ever uncertain about how you should be using your hearing aids, or you think that you might not be getting the quality of experience from them that you should, then your audiologist is here to help. At Kirsch Audiology, we have expertise in all manner of hearing aid use and maintenance, so get in touch with us by calling 310-586-5533 and we can help you find the answer you need.
