So you don’t use your hearing aids regularly? Most of the time you leave them in the drawer unless you are, for example, going to a party or to the theater. Do you really need to wear them more often than that?

In the long run, you create problems for yourself if you’re not wearing your hearing aids on a regular basis and that’s a problem. Your hearing may get considerably worse. You could have problems with mental decline or social isolation. Your general health could be compromised. So, if you’re not wearing your hearing aids, you should definitely pay attention to this.

Why Aren’t You Wearing Your Hearing Aid?

If your hearing aids are stored in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you probably have a reason. Sure, maybe you haven’t specifically been honest about what those reasons might be. Perhaps you evade the questions from your family when they ask why you don’t wear them.

Stilted dialogue aside, we know that’s not the complete story, right? If you dig a little deeper, you’ll most likely find that there’s a particular complaint at the heart of your infrequent hearing aid use. Specific complaints are positive because they create the possibility to find an equally specific solution.

What follows are some of the most common grievances;

“My Hearing Aids Feel Uncomfortable”

One of the most frequently mentioned reasons that people stop using their hearing aids normally is discomfort. Maybe the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or maybe your over-the-ear model chafes in just the wrong spot, causing tenderness and pain.

Hearing aids aren’t intended to be uncomfortable, so if they’re creating irritation of any kind, something is certainly wrong. And soreness, frustration, and pain are not things you would wish from any piece of technology.

Possible solution: If your hearing aids are not comfortable, a follow-up fitting appointment is something you should consider. It’s entirely possible that the way your hearing aid fits just needs a few quick alterations. The size and shape of your ear can even be the foundation of an entire customization of some designs. The more comfortable your hearing aid is, the more likely you are to leave the device in place for long periods of time.

I’m Experiencing Poor Quality Sound From my Hearing Aids

Perhaps you don’t wear your hearing aids regularly because you experiencing the sound to be tinny or fuzzy. It’s not surprising that you have decided to put your hearing aids away for a special occasion, if that’s the situation.”

This tinny or fuzzy sound can happen because hearing aids are performing complicated auditory functions all the time, filtering out some sounds while trying to amplify others. So if your settings aren’t properly adjusted, the sound quality may seem unreliable.

Solution: This issue has two possible answer: calibration and maintenance. Your hearing aids may be broken in some way or another and require repairing. But your hearing specialist can do a quick calibration which is all your hearing aids might need.

With My Hearing Aid, Voices Seem Muffled

You need to hear voices with clarity. When you first purchased hearing aids that was the whole point! You didn’t want to miss out on a single word. So it could be a bit frustrating if all the voices you hear with you’re hearing aid are muffled or hard to comprehend.

Because your brain and ears aren’t communicating effectively anymore, this problem usually occurs when you first purchase your hearing aids.

The Remedy: Practice. Your brain will need to become accustomed to hearing language again, so anything you can do to get some repetition will help. Try reading along with closed caption while watching your favorite tv show or along with an audiobook. Simply having more conversations with the people around you is a great way to practice, as well.

Finding Answers

You can find an answer no matter what the reason you’re not using your hearing aid. And it is vital, both for your hearing health and your cognitive well-being, that you wear your hearing aids routinely.

So if your hearing aids don’t seem to be working well for you? Determine the issue and come up with a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you believe your hearing aids need adjustment, contact your hearing care specialist as soon as possible.