Why Does it Matter if You Wear Your Hearing Aids

Woman wearing hearing aids enjoys a hike with friends.

So, it’s not all that often that you use your hearing aids? Most of the time you leave them in the drawer unless you’re, for example, going to a party or to the theater. Do you really need to wear them more often than that?

Over time, you make difficulty for yourself if you’re not using your hearing aids on a regular basis and that’s an issue. Your hearing could get drastically worse. You could have problems with social isolation and cognitive decline. Your overall health might be jeopardized. This article will help you understand why you should be wearing your hearing aids.

Why Aren’t Your Hearing Aids in Your Ears?

If your hearing aids are stored in a nightstand drawer somewhere, you likely have a reason. Sure, perhaps you haven’t exactly been honest about what those reasons are. Maybe, when your family asks, you may even say something generic and elusive, such as, “I just don’t like them”.

Stilted dialogue aside, we know that’s not the complete story, right? If you dig a little deeper, you’ll likely find that there’s a specific complaint at the heart of your infrequent hearing aid use. And there’s also a very exact solution to your problem.

What follows are some of the most common complaints;

“My Hearing Aids Feel Uncomfortable”

Discomfort is one of the most frequently cited grounds for people not using their hearing aids. Sometimes, the hearing aid keeps falling out of your ear. Or perhaps pain and tenderness are happening in just the wrong spot with your over-the-ear model.

It’s not supposed to be uncomfortable to wear hearing aids, so something is definitely not right if they are creating any kind of irritation. And it’s logical that you wouldn’t want to wear a piece of technology that causes soreness, pain, or frustration.

Possible solution: If your hearing aids are uncomfortable, a follow-up fitting session is something you should consider. It’s altogether feasible that the way your hearing aid fits just needs a couple of quick adjustments. Some designs can even be entirely personalized to the shape and size of your ears. The more comfortable your hearing aid fits, the more likely you are to keep it in place for long periods of time.

My Hearing Aid Has Poor Sound Quality

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

Hearing aids are carrying out complicated auditory functions all the time as they increase some sounds while filtering out others and that can result in a tinny or fuzzy sound. So the sound quality might seem unreliable if your settings aren’t properly tweaked.

Solution: There are two possible solutions to this problem: calibration and upkeep. Your hearing aids might be broken in some way or another and need to be
repaired. But it’s also possible that they basically need a simple calibration (usually this is something your hearing specialist can take care of for you).

When I Use My Hearing Aid, Voices Are Muffled

You need to hear voices clearly. When you first purchased hearing aids that was the whole reason! You didn’t want to miss out on one word. So if all the voices you hear are hard to comprehend and sound muffled it could be a little bit aggravating.

This usually happens when you first buy your hearing aids because your brain and ears aren’t necessarily used to communicating all that well anymore (it’s like they had a falling out or something).

Solution: Practice. Your brain will have to become accustomed to hearing language again, so putting yourself in situations where you can hear people conversing regularly will help. Try reading along with closed caption while watching your favorite tv show or along with an audiobook. Another way to get some beneficial practice is simply by having discussions with people you come in contact with.

Finding Solutions

You can discover a solution no matter what the reason you’re not wearing your hearing aid. And you have to use your hearing aid routinely in order to protect your cognitive health and the health of your hearing.

So if you’re not using your hearing aids? Recognize the issue and come up with a solution, so you can get involved in your life again. If you suspect your hearing aids require adjustment, consult your hearing care specialist as soon as possible.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.