5 Mistakes Every New Hearing Aid Owner Makes

Getting hearing aids is the first step in managing hearing loss. However, you need to use them correctly to get the most out of what these devices have to offer. Modern hearing aids are sophisticated pieces of equipment and manufacturers pack them with dozens of features designed to enhance your experience.

However, despite their many benefits, learning how to adjust to your new devices can be overwhelming at first, especially if you’re not sure how to fully operate and use them. Because many patients don’t learn the proper maintenance and usage guidelines, they are prone to accidental mishaps that can impact the efficiency of the technology. This post covers some of the mistakes new hearing aid owners make and how you can avoid them as a beginner.

Not Caring for Your Hearing Aids Properly

Despite being advanced equipment, modern hearing aids are still sensitive to moisture. Water or humid air can get into the internals and damage circuits, shortening devices’ lives. Owners should take steps to protect their devices from moist environments. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Keep your hearing aids in a dry box at night (a special box that removes the moisture content from the surrounding air, letting the hearing aid dry out)
• Take off your hearing aids before you take a shower or bath
• Use an umbrella to protect your hearing aids from the rains
• Make sure that your hearing aids are suitable for exercise. Sweat can damage their components just as much as other sources of moisture, so it’s a good idea to use protective sleeves when working out

You should also wash your hands before replacing your hearing aid’s battery. Oil and germs on your fingers can affect how the battery functions and how long it lasts. Earwax and dead skin cells can also build up on your hearing aid. Therefore, you should always clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Don’t use water or water-based products to clean your hearing aids. Wiping them with a clean cloth is usually sufficient, though you can get special hearing aid cleaners.

Lastly, take your hearing aids out if you play contact sports. Impacts can damage them severely.

Skipping Your Hearing Aid Fitting

As mentioned in the introduction, hearing aids are sophisticated pieces of equipment. They come with dozens of settings to ensure they calibrate to your hearing loss, which is different for all patients. You should always see your hearing instrument specialist (HIS) for a fitting. They can ensure your hearing aid works as intended and amplifies sounds sufficiently. Ordering hearing aids online deny you this opportunity.

Most patients require more than one hearing aid fitting to set up their devices perfectly. Therefore, don’t worry if you have to return to the hearing instrument specialist several times. As your ears adjust to your hearing devices, choosing the correct settings will become easier.

Not Being Honest About Your True Level of Hearing Loss

Patients often feel disheartened by their hearing loss and try to guess when sounds are playing on audiogram tests, even when they can’t hear them. This approach will result in poor analysis and adversely affect your hearing aid fitting. The HIS will have to work with the wrong data, negatively affecting results. To ensure accurate results, always tell your hearing instrument specialist the actual level of your hearing loss. They can use this information to give you the proper treatment.

Believing Your Hearing Will Improve Immediately

Some hearing aid users believe their hearing will improve the moment they walk out of the clinic door with their new hearing devices fitted. However, that’s not how it usually works. It takes the brain approximately a month to adjust to hearing devices.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t notice any changes after a hearing aid fitting. Voices sounding distant is perfectly normal. Wait and see how your ears adjust to your current settings. Then, if there is no change, return to your hearing instrument specialist for another fitting.

Not Understanding How Your Hearing Aids Work

Lastly, some hearing aid owners run into trouble because they don’t understand how their hearing aids work. They fail to use the equipment properly, leading to poor results. For instance, most hearing aids now have features that enhance hearing in noisy environments, such as theaters and restaurants. Directional microphones pick up sounds coming from a specific direction.

Hearing aids also have wireless options to connect to TVs, phones and electronic devices. These bypass the need to use the microphone, pumping sounds directly to the speaker. Lastly, some owners don’t know how to adjust the settings on their hearing aids as their hearing loss changes.

The good news is that your HIS can explain everything about your hearing aids and how to take care of them. If you need a hearing test or just general assistance with your devices, get in touch with Hear Clear by calling (603) 455-8777.