Hearing Aids Need Good Fit, Trial Period
Friday, December 19th, 2008A recent article in the McClatchy-Tribune talked about how it’s critical that effective hearing aids get a good fit and trial period. All too often, hearing aids wind up being thrown in the dresser drawer or stuffed at the bottom of a purse when a user is frustrated. People decide to stop wearing hearing aids for many reasons, like poor fit or feeling like it’s a social stigma, for example.
Also worth noting is that audiologist Deborah Minnis, whom the article focused on, suggested that there really isn’t a stigma anymore when it comes to hearing aids. With the popularity of Bluetooth headsets for digital phones, these days it seems like just about everyone has something in their ear. So now you’re high-tech if you have something colorful in your ear, remarked Minnis. With hearing aids now being made in bright colors and new designs, they really do look high-tech.
Minnis recently held a free seminar about the basics of sensorineural hearing loss, where she was able to speak to people suffering from hearing loss. Some of those people had not been satisfied with their hearing aids, but she was able to recommend hearing aids for them on the basis of need and fit. One of the reasons people buy hearing aids and then don’t wear them, she said, is poor fit and the noises that result because of that.
Here at the Hearing Aid Blog at Hearing Aid Express, we’ve talked before about adjusting to a hearing aid. It can take several weeks for a hearing aid to feel natural, so it’s important to give it a proper trial period. Once you’ve adjusted to a hearing aid, sounds should be sharper and louder. Still, it’s important to remember that a hearing aid will not completely restore your hearing.
Don’t miss our frequently asked questions page if you would like to find out more information about hearing aids, like how they work, how long they last and what they typically cost. And our hearing self-evaluation may be useful if you’re wondering if you are experiencing some degree of hearing loss.