A hearing aid is a life changing device that can significantly improve the way someone interacts with the world and the people around them. It is important to strengthen a few key skills to make your investment in better hearing work for the long run. What makes someone with hearing aids a successful user? Here are a few of our top picks!
- Feeling confident in getting the hearing aid in (and out) of your ear: I often tell my patient’s that this skill is the most important skill to practice and learn. Properly inserted hearing aids will provide the most appropriate sound levels into the ear, and will ensure the hearing aid stays snug in the ear. Practice makes perfect with this skill. Using a mirror can help ensure your hearing aid is in your ear properly.
- Proper Fitting and follow up care: Getting hearing aids is not a onetime event such as buying a kitchen appliance or choosing a new toilet paper. Regular hearing aid follow-up appointments are essential for a successful hearing aid user. These appointments can consist of hearing aid adjustments, maintenance, learning new skills, and hearing aid cleaning. Being fit with hearing aids should be seen as a gradual and rewarding process, where the hearing aids are tweaked and adjusted over time, depending on how your brain adapts to the new sound it is hearing.
- Consistent Use: Wearing your hearing aid consistently is important for your brain to adjust to the new sounds you are hearing. Consistency of use can continue to keep your ears “working”, which can in turn help prevent your hearing from deteriorating further.
- Communication Strategies: Hearing Aids can improve your ability to hear, but they will not restore your hearing to normal. It’s important to learn communication strategies that can help you better understand speech, such as learning effective listening strategies, practicing speech reading skills, and asking people to speak more clearly.
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