Why Don’t Hearing Aids Work?
I hear this question from new patients all the time. Some have read online or in a magazine that hearing aids don’t work. Some have seen a friend or loved one struggle to hear despite using hearing aids. Some used hearing aids in the past and were unsuccessful. This misconception is unfortunate — because hearing aids do work.
Proven benefits
This isn’t just an audiologist’s opinion. It’s scientific fact. Countless research studies have proven that hearing aids improve speech understanding in both quiet and noise. But more than that, a study done by the University of South Florida in 2007 found that hearing aids have been shown to significantly improve quality of life for both hearing aid users and their spouses.
Hearing device TLC
If you have hearing aids but aren’t experiencing these benefits, you should be! You might be surprised how often perfectly good hearing aids are left in a drawer for years simply because earwax plugged a port or the batteries were inserted upside-down. A quick trip to your audiologist for a clean & check — plus crash course on hearing aid home maintenance — will get you back up and running in no time! Sometimes the problem is more serious than that: Your hearing aids might be in need of repair, adjustment, or fine-tuning. If you’ve had the devices for a while, the hearing aids might no longer be sufficient for your hearing loss.
It’s never too late
Whatever the case may be, if you have hearing aids you aren’t using, or if you used hearing aids in the past but stopped, it’s worth a call to your hearing care provider for a checkup. Satisfaction with your hearing aids should be the rule, not the exception!