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Getting the Most Out of Your Hearing Aids
Part 1 |
As we've said before, hearing aids are just that — aids to hearing. They do not restore 100% of your original hearing. Unlike eyeglasses that provide instant results in correcting your vision once you put them on, usually one must acclimate oneself to hearing with hearing instruments over a period of time. There is usually an instantaneous noticeable difference, of course. But, then, adjustments usually need to be made in order to make the needed corrections at various frequencies in order to hear optimally.
What you should and shouldn't expect from your hearing aid
One must have realistic expectations when it comes to aural rehabilitation. Those whose expectations are too high often tend to give up because they don't find that their hearing is returned to "normal." Some folks want their basic level hearing aids to perform like premium digitals, and they get frustrated that their hearing aids don't do more for them. This kind of expectation can be compared to hoping a Chevy Cavalier will perform like a Cadillac Eldorado.
Some hearing aids have more features than others, which allow for more options and flexibility in various situations, but all have their limitations. If one has a very basic hearing instrument, it will not have noise reduction/feedback reduction/directional capabilities, meaning that you will have problems in crowds, restaurants, noisy situations. It requires a directional microphone or noise reduction option in order to hear conversation clearly without the background noise being a problem.
Tests of and adjustments to your hearing aid
In order to obtain an optimal hearing experience from one's hearing instruments, periodic adjustments may be necessary. (Certainly regular cleanings are a must — usually, every three to four months one should take their instruments in for a professional clean and check.) As the brain adjusts to the hearing amplification, adjustments are often needed. And, over time, one's hearing may change some, so periodic hearing tests are recommended, and adjustments can be made if necessary.
After the initial hearing aid fitting, a follow-up appointment should be made within 30 days. At that time, the dispenser should check to make sure that the hearing aid fits well and is not causing any discomfort. During that appointment any adjustments to the programming should also be made. After the instruments are worn for several days, and the brain is adjusting to hearing sounds it hasn't heard in awhile, one usually starts to notice what one likes and doesn't like as far as the amplification and fit. It's a good idea to take notes and bring them with you to your follow-up appointment. After the follow-up appointment, it may be necessary to return for subsequent adjustments. Some people take longer than others to adjust to their hearing instruments — that's ok. Don't give up — we don't. Don't be afraid that you're being a pest or a nuisance. You are why we are here. If your dispenser's mission is not to help people hear better, then you may want to find one that has that kind of heart for people.
Basic or directional/noise reduction hearing aid
Hearing aids will provide you with better hearing, but will not cure your hearing loss. The better hearing may not be evident in all situations. If one lives a quiet, sedentary life, then the basic hearing aids usually satisfy those hearing needs. If one is very active socially, then a basic hearing aid may not be a realistic choice. Of course, it does depend upon one's hearing loss. If a person has a "flat" hearing loss, meaning the same decibel loss across all the frequencies, then a basic hearing aid may work very well in nearly every situation for that person. If one has a mostly high frequency loss, meaning the hearing loss is worse in the high frequencies than in the lows, a hearing aid with directional or noise reduction features is going to be necessary for that person to be able to hear more clearly in crowds.
Speech discrimination - high or low
Another factor that must be considered is one's speech discrimination. It won't matter if one is wearing the most advanced, most expensive hearing instruments on the market if one's speech discrimination is very low. Speech discrimination is being able to discriminate various speech sounds. In a high frequency hearing loss, the "s", "t", "f" sounds are not clearly discerned. The high frequencies provide the vital information needed for speech clarity and understanding. With the proper hearing aids, these sounds come across more clearly — unless the brain's ability to recall how these letters sound is impaired. If the brain has lost it's ability to discern various speech sounds (see Article 0205 You Hear With Your Brain where we explain this), then it isn't going to be realistic to expect a hearing aid to help in this regard.
A hearing aid will provide the proper amplification, but will not correct the function of the brain to discriminate and translate the various sounds into recognized speech. This is a particularly frustrating and distressing problem. I cannot tell you how many times we have counseled with people who experience this kind of loss, and how it breaks our hearts for these folks. It is not easy to live with this dilemma. That's why we stress the importance of getting hearing help early on so that the brain stays active in discriminating various speech sounds!
Feedback
One should expect to wear their hearing instruments without feedback being an issue. When a hearing instrument does not fit properly, or is not vented properly, or perhaps is not programmed properly, or if there is wax in the ear canal itself, then one may experience a feedback "squeal" or "whistle". This is usually very annoying to others around you, but may not be perceived by the hearing aid wearer due to high frequency hearing loss. One should expect a hearing instrument to perform without this problem. The only time one should hear any kind of feedback is upon insertion into or removal of the instrument from the ear. If feedback is a problem during the normal wearing of the aid, one should consult with the dispenser in order to correct this problem.
Soft sounds/background noise
One should keep in mind that hearing aids may not allow you to hear very soft sounds. And, they may not always be able to block ALL background noises, especially in noisy social situations. Hey, even those of us with good hearing have trouble with background noise! When it gets chattery here in the office, it's a real challenge for me to hear over the phone, I usually have to plug up my other ear to block out the conversations in the room so I can hear ther person on the other end of the line. If the dishwasher is running and my dogs are barking, there's no way I'm going to be able to understand when my husband is asking me where his bar-b-que tongs are!
One other thing about background noise. It's true that those of us with "normal" hearing have adjusted to background noises pretty much.....our brain often "tunes them out." Road noise isn't usually much of a problem. The refrigerator hum just isn't something we notice. But a person wearing hearing instruments for the first time, or one who has upgraded to a more high-performance set of instruments, may notice these sounds all of a sudden, and find them annoying. Believe me — it just takes time for the brain to adjust to hearing these sounds, and you, too, will be able to "tune them out."
What can you expect from your hearing aid?
So, what can one realistically expect from hearing aids (provided one's speech discrimination is still good)? Hearing aids should be able to help one hear and understand better in most situations and allow one to participate more in social settings, but one must keep in mind that they have their limitations.
When you purchase hearing instruments from us at Advanced Hearing Plus, we do all we can to make your hearing experience a positive one. We do not charge for adjustments for the life of your hearing aids. We understand that from time to time, as your brain makes adjustments in how it hears and perceives sounds, we will need to make computer adjustments to your digital hearing instruments. And we're happy to do so. We enjoy helping people hear better, and helping people to live a better quality of life because they can communicate better with their loved ones.
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| (Article 0805-1105, Part 1. Originally published August-November 2005) |
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