Common Questions About Hearing Loss (Part 2)
What do hearing aids look like?
Hearing aids come in many different styles. The size will depend upon your hand dexterity, vision, hearing loss, options you may need, cost, and cosmetic concerns you may have. All the various technology types are available in these different models. Please refer to our page on Types of Hearing Aids.
Do I really need two hearing aids?
There are times due to either a completely deaf ear or a normal hearing ear that we would only recommend one hearing aid. Most people hear better with two hearing aids than only one. We were made with two ears for a reason. The right ear sends most of its information to the left side of the brain and visa versa. People with two hearing aids usually hear better in noisy environments, can tell where sounds are coming from, hear more clearly, and experience the “stereo” effect of hearing. Click on this link for more information about why using two hearing aids is important. Still not convinced? Try this little experiment. Watch television for 10 minutes while you plug up one of your ears. Then listen with both ears again. Most will agree that hearing from two ears is better than hearing from one.
What is it like to use hearing aids?
It will take time for you to learn to listen to new sounds and interpret the voice sounds you will hear again. It will also take time for your brain to learn to focus on the sounds that are important to you and learn to ignore the other sounds. At first, all the sounds in your environment will seem important to your brain. Daily use of the devices will facilitate this adjustment. Focus on all the new, wonderful sounds in your environment and don’t worry about the extraneous sounds you hear.
During the first few days you will physically feel the hearing aids in your ears, but they should not hurt. After a while, you should forget that the devices are in your ears. If you purchase programmable or digital hearing aids, you should expect to return to the office several times during the first month or so for fine tuning adjustments for the listening situations you encounter. After the hearing aids are adjusted properly, you should return to the office every 4-6 months for a free cleaning of the hearing aids. Do not hesitate to ask questions or clarify needs during the important first few months.
Sometimes a minor adjustment can make a world of difference. The State of Illinois requires that hearing aids may be returned within 30 days (we allow 60 days) with a minimal restocking fee. This will give you and our office sufficient time to make sure that the hearing aids you selected are appropriate for you. If not, you may return them or try a different style or technology that may be more suitable.
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