Hearing aids – tips for everyday life
Around 12 million people in Germany are affected by hearing loss, and the number of unreported cases is likely higher since many people only notice the symptoms late or not. If the decision is made to do something about the hearing loss, a hearing aid usually helps. But many people find it difficult to get used to. We have summarized practical tips that will make it easier for you to use your hearing aid.
Why do many shy away from hearing aids?
Only about 16 per cent of those affected compensate for their hearing loss with a hearing system – even though the hearing impairment does not improve without help but steadily worsens.
There can be several reasons for this:
- aesthetic objections
- the fear of not being able to cope with the technology
- Consider whether the device will do anything at all
- upcoming costs
Steady deterioration in hearing performance
Many of those affected only seek medical help years later since the gradual process of hearing loss is often only noticed at an advanced stage. This can affect hearing performance and side effects such as headaches, reduced cognitive performance, or fatigue, which can accompany hearing loss.
There is something you can do to counteract the fear that the care and handling of the hearing system is too complicated: Specialists such as hearing care professionals will be happy to advise you and show you the different types of devices. Modern hearing aids also have many functions that make your everyday life easier. For example, the hearing aid can be connected to a smartphone or television.
How to get used to your hearing aid
Your hearing aid is not just a sophisticated product; it is custom-made for your ear. Nevertheless, it will only sometimes entirely come close to natural hearing. Especially in the beginning, most affected people need time to get used to the device.
On the one hand, this is due to the handling – the devices usually offer different settings in the form of hearing programs to adapt optimally to other environmental or conversational situations. This can be confusing at first.
Another reason is that during the months of hearing loss, the brain has forgotten how to deal with normal background noise. Since it receives far fewer stimuli than before, it gradually ignores them. It needs to remember what soft noises like birdsong or the rustling of leaves sound like and how it uses its filter function.
Normal hearing serves to hide unimportant things from the incoming stimuli. Suppose the brain is again exposed to an almost average noise level through a hearing aid. In that case, it perceives this as loud and disturbing, even if modern hearing aids suppress the background noise in noisy situations and support the valuable sound.
Therefore, Give your brain time to do its job properly again. It may take you a few weeks to get used to the new hearing experience.
Facilitate the adjustment period.
Here are six helpful tips to help you get started with your hearing aid from day one:
- Talk to your ENT doctor and hearing care professional. As a rule, you can subject the new device to practical tests in everyday life so that its profile can be tailored precisely to your requirements. Have the insertion, handling, and care explained to you in detail and several times.
- Wear your new device regularly – if you are overwhelmed by the acoustic impressions, wear the hearing aid for a few hours first and gradually increase the wearing time. The aim should be to wear the hearing aid permanently.
- Expose yourself to relatively quiet situations, especially in the beginning, where few people speak simultaneously, and there are no loud or numerous background noises. In a crowded pub with music blaring, you overwhelm your brain.
- Also, keep the noise level down in your everyday life: use quiet electrical appliances, block out street noise, and don’t leave the radio, television and dishwasher on in the background (or at the same time).
- Look at the lips of the person you are talking to, and pay attention to their facial expressions and gestures. This way, you can train to harmonize your hearing with lip movements. Ask your friends and colleagues to always address you from the front and to make yourself noticeable in advance.
- If your hearing loss has existed for a long time, your speaking ability may have suffered. Your voice then sometimes sounds too loud or washed out. Ask your doctor whether perception training can help you improve this disorder.
Cleaning and caring for hearing aids – 5 golden rules
Hearing aids are robust and designed for everyday use. Nevertheless, you should pay attention to a few points when caring for them to increase their service life:
- Clean the hearing aid daily: Remove earwax from the device with a dry cloth. The earmold should be cleaned regularly overnight with a cleaning liquid. Be sure to dry it thoroughly afterwards. You can obtain unique products for this from a hearing care professional. He will also tell you about the differences in caring for different hearing aids.
- Avoid exposing the device to moisture ( showering, swimming, rain). Store in a “dry bag” (this draws out moisture) overnight.
- Please do not drop the hearing aid or expose it to excessive heat (blazing sun, high car temperatures), heavy dirt, or hairspray or powder.
- Use a case for storage and transport and keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
- For the holiday: Have the function of the device checked beforehand and think about care products and spare batteries.
