Out of the five senses, hearing is often considered the most precious one which connects people with their surroundings. It helps them navigate their way through the world more easily, enhance their communication with others and get in touch with all of nature’s sounds and noises.
Unfortunately, hearing can decrease over time for a variety of reasons, causing adverse consequences for people’s ability to perform their daily activities and live a quality life. While there are many proactive measures individuals can take to protect their hearing and prevent further hearing issues, doctors may still recommend hearing aids as a way to help improve patients’ hearing ability.
However, just purchasing a good set of hearing aids won’t be enough to get the most out of your device. In fact, there are other things you can do to maximize their benefits, five of which are briefly discussed below in the post.
Use two hearing aids
Although hearing loss usually occurs in one ear, many people also suffer from bilateral hearing loss. In this case, it is best that you purchase two sets of hearing aids to improve your hearing ability in both ears.
Besides this, using two hearing aids can greatly reduce the surrounding noises and prevent your brain from working too hard to process the sounds
To find the best devices, you can simply type in “high-quality hearing aids near me” on your phone to look for devices that suit your age, lifestyle, and type of hearing loss.
Learn to control the level of noise
Another thing you can do to maximize the benefits of your hearing aids is to learn how to control the level of noise you hear. Because most hearing aids cannot completely block unwanted, background noise, you should look for newer devices that offer this feature and will help you reduce the level of sudden and unwelcome loud sounds.
If you are having trouble controlling the level of noise, consider consulting with your hearing aid specialist to help you learn how to use your hearing aid device properly, so you can make the most out of it and reduce the loudness of discomforting sounds.
Keep your device clean and dry
Taking proper care of your hearing aids is crucial for maximizing their benefits. The best way to do so is to clean your device regularly and keep it free of ear wax at all times.
For this, you will need to use a dry, soft cloth with which you will wipe the pieces of your hearing aids and then brush them with soft bristles. Healthcare specialists suggest that the best time to clean your hearing aids is in the morning when the ear wax is all dried up.
For further protection and better maintenance, consider investing in a drying jar or an electronic hearing aid dryer to clean and dry your device overnight and prevent moisture.
Protect your ears
Although hearing aids help you hear both soft and loud sounds, many people often find louder noises more painful. This further causes great discomfort in the ears and can potentially increase the risk of worsening your hearing ability.
If this is the case with your hearing aids, it is imperative that you do your best in protecting both your ears and hearing, so you can have the best experience with your device. It may be helpful to take your device back to your audiologist or the store where you bought it so they can adjust it properly and make hearing loud sounds more bearable.
Regularly visit your audiologist
A common mistake many patients who wear hearing aids make is that they only visit their audiologist when they are experiencing problems with their device. However, this is wrong because you need to pay regular visits to your hearing aid specialist both to maintain your device and check on your hearing.
At these appointments, the doctor will perform various hearing examinations to determine the current condition and severity of your hearing, as well as prescribe a different hearing device with better features to prevent further hearing loss.
Final thoughts
No matter the type of hearing loss you suffer from, your audiologist will most likely recommend wearing hearing aids to hear better and function easier in the world. However, just purchasing a high-quality set of hearing aids won’t be enough as there are other things you should do to maximize its benefits.
For more information, refer to our post and read how to make the most out of your hearing aid.