At last, you invested in a set of hearing aids. Nice job taking the first step to improve your quality of life. There is a lot to understand when you invest in new technology such as modern hearing aids, and that includes the things you shouldn’t do. The list with hearing aids is not long, but it’s a significant one.
Taking care of your hearing isn’t the only thing to consider. The things you fail to do can make the hearing aid less useful or slow down your adjustment time. Now learn from the mistakes many others in your situation have made; contemplate these four things you shouldn’t do with those new hearing aids.
1. Putting in Your Hearing Aids Right After You Buy Them
Without taking the time to understand the basics of how your hearing aids function and exploring the features that come with the brand you bought you might be overlooking powerful features. It’s likely that if you just turn on your new hearing aid and start wearing them, they won’t work effectively for you. Bluetooth and noise filters are a few of the best features that you may also lose out on.
You can work on fine-tuning the hearing aid and ascertain how to get the best sound quality by taking your time and reading the documentation.
You should have a basic idea of what the hearing aids can accomplish when you purchase them. Now you need to learn how to use them which takes a little time.
2. Disregard the Adjustment Factor
Your eyes need to adjust to the shape of the frame and the difference in lenses when you get new glasses. The same is true for hearing aids. High quality sound in a new hearing aid does not happen by magic. That’s an unrealistic expectation.
Your ears will require a couple days to adapt to what is a significant change, especially if you’ve never worn hearing aids in the past. Quick adjustment is all about consistent use.
Leave them in your ear once you’ve put them in. In the beginning, you might have to fight the urge to remove them every few minutes. Ask yourself why you might be uncomfortable.
- Is the sound too loud? Perhaps you need to turn the volume down.
- Does the background noise seem overwhelming? Spend a few minutes in a quiet place each day when you first put them in. Sit down and talk with a friend. Ask them if you are talking too loud. This will help you make adjustments to balance out the sound.
- If it feels uncomfortable, take the hearing aid out for short intervals until you get used to it. Go back to the retailer and have your hearing aids inspected if they don’t really fit right..
Giving up is the biggest mistake you can make. If you shove your hearing aids in a drawer and forget about them, they will do you no good.
3. When You First Buy Your Hearing Aid, Have it Fitted
Getting the right hearing aids begins before you start actually shopping and there is a lot to it. During your hearing exam at the audiologist, it’s important to tell the truth about what you can and can’t hear. You could end up with hearing aids that aren’t the correct ones for your level or type of hearing loss. Some hearing aids amplify a high-frequency sound by design for example. If you have a difficult time hearing mid or low sounds, these are not the correct hearing aids for you.
Your lifestyle, in some cases may not seem well compatible with hearing aids. Perhaps you spend two-thirds of your day on the phone, so you will need to get hearing aids with Bluetooth technology.
Take note of when you feel your hearing aids aren’t working correctly or you wish they did something different while you’re still in the trial period. You can go back and talk about those issues with your hearing care technician. An adjustment might be required or you may need a different device.
Be sure you get your hearing aids from a seller that does fittings, too. If they are too big for your ears they won’t function properly.
4. Poor Maintenance
Sometimes poor upkeep is merely a matter of not understanding when you should or shouldn’t do something or how to do it. Take the time to figure out how to care for your hearing aids even if this isn’t your first pair.
There are some things you shouldn’t do with your hearing aids in like using hair products when you have them in or removing them without turning them off so consult your user manual.
Always, study the troubleshooting instructions and the maintenance guide.
Keeping it clean is an important part of caring for hearing aids, so make sure you understand all the hows and whys. The hearing aid is not the only thing that requires cleaning. Correctly cleaning your ears is crucial too.
If you want to get the most out of your hearing aids, the ball is in your court. It’s a continuing process from shopping to use. Schedule a hearing test with a hearing professional to learn what type of hearing aid will work best for you.
