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CHAPTER SEVEN Why Some Consumers Reject Hearing Aids But How You Could Love Them! Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D.
. . .Here are some issues you should keep in mind as you develop appropriate expectations about what your hearing aids can and cannot do for you:12-13 · No matter how technically advanced, in most cases hearing aids cannot restore your hearing to normal except is some very mild hearing losses. · Not all hearing aids perform the same with every type of hearing loss. · No hearing aid has been designed which will filter out all background noise. Some hearing instruments can reduce amplification of some types of background noise or make you more comfortable in the presence of noise. · Where appropriate, directional microphones can often improve your ability to hear in noise. · When directional hearing instruments are coupled with digital signal processing, you can be assured that your hearing instruments are optimized for improving your quality of life in noisy environments. · Since you are purchasing custom hearing instruments, you should expect the fit to be comfortable; ideally you should not even know they are in your ears. There should not be any soreness, bleeding, or rashes associated with your wearing hearing aids. If there is, go back to your hearing health provider to make adjustments to the shell of the aid or earmold. · Hearing instruments should allow you to: 1. hear soft sounds (e.g. child’s voice, soft speech) that you could not hear without amplification—this is part of the enjoyment of hearing aids; 2. understand speech in quiet situations—many people will derive some additional speech intelligibility in noise with advanced technology; 3. prevent loud sounds from becoming uncomfortably loud for you, but very loud sounds that are uncomfortable to normal hearing people may still be uncomfortable to you. · Hearing aids may squeal or whistle when you are inserting them into your ear (if you do not have a volume control to shut it off); but if it squeals after the initial insertion, then most likely you have an inadequate fit and should tell your hearing health provider. · Do not expect your friend’s hearing aid brand or style to work for you. · Do not expect your family doctor to know very much about hearing loss, brands of hearing aids and whether or not you need them. · Expect your hearing aids to provide benefit to you during the trial period. By benefit, I mean that your ability to understand speech has demonstrably improved in the listening situations important to you (with realistic expectations though). This is what you paid for, so you should expect benefit. If you do not experience an improvement, then work with your hearing health professional to see if the instrument can be adjusted to meet your specific needs. Never purchase a hearing aid that does not give you sufficient benefit. · Expect to be satisfied with your hearing instruments; expect the quality of your life to improve due to your hearing instruments. · Expect a 30-day trial period with a money-back guarantee if your hearing aids do not give you benefit. (There might be a small nonrefundable portion for some services rendered.) · Give your hearing aids a chance, being sure to follow the instructions of the hearing health provider. Most people need a period of adjustment (called acclimatization) before they are deriving the maximum benefit from their hearing instruments (even up to four months). . . |
