If you have hearing loss, hearing aids are an important and worthwhile investment in your overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, some new users have trouble adjusting to their devices.
Common Reasons People Don’t Use Hearing Aids
A qualitative study interviewed people with hearing loss who don’t use hearing aids to get a better sense of why they don’t use their devices. Some of the more common reasons people cited for not using a device included:
- Feeling embarrassed wearing hearing aids
- They don’t believe they make a difference
- Feel unsure about how to properly use their device
- Hearing aid feels uncomfortable
Learning To Embrace Your Hearing Aids
There’s always an adjustment phase with hearing aids, and learning to embrace your device will take some time. It will also depend on what your reasons are for not wanting to wear it.
If you feel embarrassed about wearing your device, it may be helpful to reevaluate your perspective. Try to keep in mind the health benefits of hearing aid use that go beyond just helping you hear better, such as lowering your risk of cognitive decline.
Also, if you’re concerned about the appearance of your device, ask your audiologist about models that fit completely in your ear canal. These are practically invisible to other people.
Give Yourself Time
When you first get hearing aids, your ears and brain need to adjust to a new way of hearing sounds. It can take some time before you adjust to the way your voice sounds or to find the right setting so it’s not too loud when you go out to eat with your family at Tastee Diner.
It also can take time just to get used to having an object in your ear, as well as mastering the proper way of putting them in every morning.
Wear your hearing aids consistently, and be patient with yourself as you learn about the ins and outs of your device and what settings work best for you.
Visit Your Audiologist
If, after several weeks of regular use, you still feel as though your hearing aids aren’t helping or that your device feels uncomfortable, make an appointment with your audiologist. It’s possible that additional adjustments need to be made to improve the fit and maximize your hearing capabilities.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, call Hearing Center Silver Spring today.