Most people are happy with their hearing aids: According to one recent survey, when talking one-on-one, 91% of people who use hearing aids are pleased with their experience. When breaking down results with particular activities, 75% were satisfied in a restaurant or on the phone, 78% were satisfied while in the grocery store, and 85% were satisfied watching TV or in a group.
These are some spectacularly positive numbers for an intricate device like a hearing aid. But that still leaves us questioning, what’s happening with the other 25%, 15%, and 9%. What makes them less happy with their hearing aid?
Let’s explore the good and the bad things people have to say about their hearing aid experience. (We can easily fix the majority of the bad stuff and that’s the good news!)
If you love your hearing aid, this article will help you love it even more. If you’re not as satisfied with it as wish you were, we’ll discover what to do about it.
1. I feel more connected
There’s often a reconnection with friends and loved ones for people who have had their ability to hear restored with hearing aids. They have more energy. They engage and stay more active.
They find their days filled with less frustration over their inability to hear. They feel less exhausted because they don’t have to struggle to understand what people are saying.
For many individuals, a hearing aid allows them to feel more connected to their world and others, which is when they feel happiest.
2. Initially, sounds seemed distorted
Hearing aids nowadays are digital. They don’t simply make sounds louder, they have many settings to help you hear best in various places. That’s why people may be so satisfied in a one-on-one conversation but dissatisfied in a restaurant or on the phone.
Hearing aids aren’t complicated to learn to use. But they do take some practice getting used to them.
3. I needed assistance learning how to use my hearing aid
Hearing aids aren’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution as many individuals may presume. If it doesn’t sound great when they first get home they may get the misconception that this is as good as it gets and decide it’s easier not to wear the hearing aid.
You may not even recognize how complex hearing loss is. Hearing aids are designed to address various types and levels of hearing loss by transforming the way sound goes into the ear.
When you are in the office, we will perform a total hearing aid fitting. When you get home, we highly recommend that you practice using your hearing aid with a friend in a variety of settings.
Talk with us if you’re still having trouble after a couple of weeks. We can likely make modifications or help you better understand how the hearing aid works in settings where you’re having trouble.
4. I had forgotten what I was missing without complete hearing
Can you recollect what gentle laughter or a delicate whisper sounds like? What about the wind, wind chimes, singing birds, or quiet music? Maybe you can’t recollect what children playing sounds like, or you’ve forgotten the sound of the gentle breathing of your significant other.
Many people who get a hearing aid share that it’s a nice surprise to suddenly hear these little things that they had forgotten about. Having these sounds restored means the full magnificence of the world around can once again be experienced by people who get hearing aids.
5. Becoming accustomed to my new hearing aid took some getting accustomed to.
You likely weren’t at first comfortable with your first pair of shoes when you were a toddler. But now, of course, you’re completely comfortable with them. It may take time to become accustomed to a new hat or a new watch, in a similar way.
When something like a hearing aid is first placed in your ear canal, your body is designed to initially feel discomfort. Eventually, when the body knows that it’s not threatened, it will become used to and comfortable with the new device.
6. I wish I would have invested in my hearing aids sooner
People who put in the time to get used to their hearing aids wouldn’t go back. They normally regret waiting so long and they would never give up the benefits of being able to hear.
People who were patient and preserved were thankful that they did. Their lives have become so much more enriched.
Improved hearing should be the focus
If you aren’t having the ideal experience with your hearing aid, don’t give up. The effort and time will be worth it. It will become automatic before too long.
Let us know about what you’re experiencing with your hearing aids. We can usually offer tips on how to get used to your hearing aids faster. The adjustment is worth it when you get the opportunity to experience all that life has to offer.
