If you’ve made the investment in hearing aids and you are not satisfied with the way you are hearing, there are many factors to consider.
Putting on a pair of hearing aids is not like popping on a pair of eyeglasses. We hear with our brain and there is a period of adjustment that varies for everyone. Adjusting to new sounds can take weeks, months, or sometimes longer. Hearing aids can succeed in improving your hearing; however, nothing will ever be like the ears that you were born with. It is important that your Audiologist sets realistic expectations.
Hearing aids will assist with volume, but speech clarity and the ability to understand in noise is an individualized ability. Speech in noise and processing abilities can be measured and treated. Raising volume is limiting if the ability to hear clearly is impacted, or if there are issues with processing the information you hear. There are accessories that can be added to the hearing aids such as a remote microphone or TV streamer to send speech directly through the hearing aids. When hearing aids and accessories are not enough, a cochlear implant evaluation is the next step.
Ear canals are as unique as fingerprints. The earpiece design has a significant impact. Hearing aids fit with the wrong earpiece or earpieces placed in the ear improperly can affect the desired outcome.
Hearing aids that are prescriptively fit should be adjusted based on individual ear acoustics. This is easily accomplished by taking specialized measurements in the ear canal with and without hearing aids that is paired with data obtained from a reliable hearing test. Performing this procedure leads to satisfaction and less follow-up visits.
A clear ear and clean hearing aid is necessary for success. If you tend to build up wax, have a professional check your ears regularly. If the hearing aid, tubing, dome or filter is clogged with wax or moisture, these are all quick fixes.
We want you to be successful on your hearing journey. Let us know what we can do to help.