What’s the use of having hearing aids if you never wear them? Today’s manufacturers have done their part to give users a wide selection of different styles and custom fittings, but in the end it’s up to the person with hearing loss to take hearing health as serious as they do other physical issues like heart health.
Thanks to the Internet a lot of us are better informed than we were only a decade ago. That means that we are also better able to make decisions about our health and stick to them. We can stick to them because we see the results of these good habits in our friends and family and even in the online stories of people we’ve never met. It’s from these stories that we’ve compiled a list of some of the ways hearing aid users found peace with their technology.
- Are you Serious? We all know the saying, “Serious as a heart attack.” We know how serious that is! Hearing health needs to be taken as seriously as heart health. In truth, the benefits to whole body health are similar. The health benefits to your brain, focus and emotions far outweigh the temporary shift individuals need to make to incorporate hearing technology into their lifestyle. So set your mind to it, don’t allow yourself to give up.
- Know Yourself. Knowing your likes and dislikes can go a long way to making sure that you pick the right type of hearing aid, the one you are more likely to feel comfortable with and use. The most popular style of hearing aids are the Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aid. There are a lot of reasons people love this style. It has a bigger battery and can accommodate more features. But if you’re the type of person who wouldn’t feel comfortable with something sitting behind the ears—think sunglasses and reading glasses—then you might want to consider a different style. In-the-Canal (ITC) style of hearing aids are customizable. Today there are even a few ITC models that go into your ear and stay in, only coming out when they need service or to be replaced, as is the case with disposable hearing aids like Lyric by Phonak.
- It’s Not a Marathon. It’s an Ultra-Marathon. When you run a marathon, you might not want to stop for a break, to sleep or rest. But when you run an ultra-marathon, you’re going to be running every day for days in a row, so you stop and rest and eat and even walk up the hills. Getting used to wearing hearing aids is like being in an ultra-marathon. Sure you want to get to the end, the point where you are completely comfortable wearing your hearing aids, but you’re not going to do it all in one day. Start out with the goal of wearing your hearing aids for a couple hours. Set an alarm on your clock for start and stop time. If you’re at work, schedule a time to take off your hearing aids when you know you won’t be disturbed. Shut the office door and remove the aids for a little while. Work up slowly to longer and longer periods of wear. Before you know it, you’ll have gotten through a whole day! Goal-reached! High-fives all around!
- Have Fun. Your hearing aids come equipped with many helpful features. Take the time to learn them and use them. The more you depend on your hearing aids to connect to your car, take a call, get Youtube streamed into your ear and watch television the easier your life will be and the quicker you’ll adjust to using them. Today’s hearing aids offer a host of settings for comfort and for relaxation, so make sure to learn as much as you can about your new technology. And, for Pete’s sake, have fun with them!!
- Hearing Aids Work. The key to sticking with using hearing aids is to trust the process. Remember hearing aids do work, and you will become comfortable with them, overtime. Not only do studies show they can improve your life and your health, but there are millions of personal stories online showing how well they work. If you start to get discouraged, take heart, take a break and reach out to other people who have been where you are. Read success stories, read the statistics and get back on that horse. You’ll be glad that you did!
Hearing aids are an incredible piece of technology that help people engage with the world, stay alert and aware and regain a lost ability. And these benefits are only a phone call away. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits and practices of hearing aid use, we can help. Call 800.550.5399.