Congrats! You’ve just become the proud owner of hearing aids – a great piece of modern tech. But new hearing aid users will wish someone had informed them about certain things, just like with any new technology.

Let’s look at nine typical mistakes new hearing aid wearers make and how to steer clear of them.

1. Neglecting to understand hearing aid functionality

Or, more specifically, know how your hearing aid works. The hearing experience will be greatly improved if you know how to utilize advanced features for different environments like on the street, at the movies, or in a restaurant.

It may be able to connect wirelessly to your smartphone, TV, or stereo. In addition, it may have a special setting that helps you hear on the phone.

If you fail to learn about these functions, it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut by using your technologically-advanced hearing aid in a basic way. Hearing aids nowadays can do more than make the sound louder.

Practice wearing your hearing aid in different places in order to learn how to attain the clearest sound quality. Test out how well you hear by getting a friend or family member to help you.

As with anything new, it will get easier after a little practice. Simply turning the volume up and down won’t even come close to providing the hearing experience that utilizing these more sophisticated features will.

2. Thinking that your hearing will instantly improve

Consistent with number one, many new hearing aid owners think their hearing will be perfect as they leave the office. This assumption is usually not how it works. It usually takes up to a month for most new users to become comfortable with their new hearing aids. But stay positive. They also say it’s really worth it.

Give yourself a few days, after you get home, to get used to your new experience. It won’t be that much different than breaking in new shoes. You might need to wear it in short intervals.

Start in a quiet setting with a friend where you’re just talking. It can be a bit disorienting initially because people’s voices might sound different. Ask your friends if you’re talking too loud and make the required adjustments.

Slowly begin to visit new places and wear the hearing aid for more extended periods of time.

Be patient with yourself, and you’ll have countless wonderful hearing experiences to look forward to.

3. Not being truthful about your level of hearing loss at your hearing appointment

In order to be certain you get the right hearing aid technology, it’s essential to answer any questions we may ask truthfully.

If you have your hearing aid and realize that maybe you weren’t as honest as you could have been, go back and ask to be retested. But it’s easier if you get it right the first time. The degree and type of hearing loss will determine the hearing aid styles that work best for you.

As an example, individuals with hearing loss in the high frequency range will require a specific type of hearing aid. Others will be better for those with mid-frequency hearing loss and so on.

4. Neglecting to have your hearing aid fitted

There are numerous requirements that your hearing aids need to simultaneously manage: they need to be comfortable on or in your ears, they need to be simple to put in and remove, and they need to boost the sounds around you effectively. Your hearing aid fitting is intended to properly calibrate all three of those factors for your individual requirements.

During hearing aid fitting sessions, you might:

• Have your hearing tested to identify the power level of your hearing aid.
• Have your ears accurately measured or have molds made (or both).

5. Not tracking your results

It’s highly recommended that you take notes on how your hearing aid performs and feels after you get fitted. If you have problems hearing in large rooms, make a note of that. If your right ear seems tighter than your left, note that. If everything feels great, make a note. With this knowledge, we can personalize the settings of your hearing aid so it works at peak efficiency and comfort.

6. Not anticipating how you’ll use your hearing aids

Some hearing aids are resistant to water. However, water can severely damage others. Some have sophisticated features you might be willing to pay more for because you take pleasure in certain activities.

We can give you some recommendations but you must decide for yourself. Only you know which state-of-the-art features you’ll actually use and that’s worth committing to because if the hearing aids don’t fit in with your lifestyle you won’t wear them.

You’ll be wearing your hearing aid for a long time. So you don’t want to regret settling when you really would have benefited from a certain function.

Some other things to consider

• Maybe you want a high level of automation. Or maybe you like having more control over the volume. How much battery life will you require?
• Speak with us about these things before your fitting so you can be sure you’re totally satisfied.
• How noticeable your hearing aid is may be important to you. Or, you might want to make a bold statement.

Throughout the fitting process we can address many of the challenges with regards to lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. Also, you may be able to demo out your hearing aids before you commit to a purchase. During this trial period, you’ll be able to get a sense of whether a particular brand of hearing aid would fit the bill.

7. Failing to take sufficient care of your hearing aid

Most hearing aids are really sensitive to moisture. If where you live is very humid, acquiring a dehumidifier may be worth the investment. Storing your hearing aid in the bathroom where people take baths or showers may not be the best idea.

Before you handle your hearing aid or its battery, be sure to clean your hands. Oils found naturally on your hand can effect how well the hearing aid works and the life of the batteries.

The hearing aid shouldn’t be allowed to collect earwax and skin cells. Instead, the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning procedures should be followed.

Taking simple steps like these will increase the life and function of your hearing aid.

8. Not having spare batteries

Frequently, it’s the worst time when new hearing aid owners learn this one. All of a sudden, when you’re watching your favorite show, your batteries die just as you’re about to discover “who done it”.

Your battery life depends, like any electronic device, on the outside environment and how you use it. So even if you just changed your batteries, keep a spare set with you. Don’t allow an unpredictable battery to cause you to miss something important.

9. Not practicing your hearing exercises

You may assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first purchase them. But it’s not just your ears that are affected by hearing loss, it’s also the parts of your brain responsible for interpreting all those sounds.

Once you get your hearing aids, you’ll be able to start the work of restoring some of those ear-to-brain pathways and links. This might take place quite naturally for some people, especially if the hearing loss was somewhat recent. But for other people, a deliberate strategy may be necessary to get your hearing back to normal again. A couple of typical strategies include the following.

Reading out loud

One of the best ways you can restore those connections between your ears and your brain is to spend some time reading out loud. Even if you feel a little weird at first you should still practice like this. You’re practicing reconnecting the feeling of saying words with the sounds they make. Your hearing will get better and better as you continue practicing.

Audiobooks

If you don’t like the idea of reading something out loud personally, then you can always try audiobooks. You can get a physical copy of the book and an audio copy. Then, you read along with the book while the audiobook plays. You’ll hear a word while you’re reading it just like reading out loud. This will teach the language parts of your brain to hear speech again.

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Resources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/