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Can Hearing Aids Make Your Hearing Worse

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Do I Get A Trial Period If I Try Hearing Aids

Will wearing hearing aids make my hearing worse?

Absolutely. Academy Hearing Centres prides itself on providing spectacular customer service. We want you or your family member to have the best possible experience. We provide up to a 90 day trial period with all hearing aid fittings. During this trial period, our clinicians will do our very best to program the hearing aids and accessories appropriately to your hearing loss needs. We recommend the best hearing aids based on your hearing thresholds and listening needs however, if you would like to try another style, manufacturer or model this can be done at no extra charge. You may also completely return your hearing aids to our clinic within the trial period and receive all monies back. Simply put we just want you to be happy with your decision.

Q Do Hearing Aids Make Your Hearing Worse

No, hearing aids do not make a person’s hearing worse. When someone starts wearing hearing aids, he/she realizes how much auditory information was being missed before the hearing aids were in use. When the hearing aids are taken off, there can be a perception of a greater hearing loss even if the person’s hearing has not changed.

Can Wearing A Hearing Aid Make My Hearing Worse

Before wearing new hearing devices, many patients cautiously ask if wearing hearing aids will make them dependent on the devices or damage their hearing. Often patients will return after wearing their new hearing aids for a few weeks and say Help! My hearing has worsened! I cannot hear without my hearing aids! While it seems as though your unaided hearing has gotten worse, what’s really happening is adaptation to hearing aids. Your brain is getting used to hearing all of the sounds you’ve been missing that are now provided by your new hearing devices. Hearing the breadth of the sounds around you has now become your new normal. Therefore, when you take that input away , your brain notes a stark contrast between the have and have not of sound. Now that you are accustomed to all of the input of the world around you, the unaided world of hearing loss seems dull and quiet. If you really believe you have had a shift in unaided hearing, we will perform another hearing test to verify there has been no shift and to set your mind at ease.

The auditory system is complex and able to learn what to do with new input. The more you wear hearing aids, the more your brain and ears will adapt to your new normal that has you hearing what youve been missing! To get back into the sounds of your life, contact our audiologists at to schedule an appointment.

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So What Do Hearing Aids Do For My Brain

Wearing hearing aids amplifies sounds you would struggle to hear otherwise, stimulating the auditory nerve cells and exercising them. By using your hearing aids consistently, your ability to comprehend sound stays optimal under your current hearing loss condition.

Want to see if MDHearingAid hearing aids will work for you? Take our quick and easy online hearing test and get your results instantly.

Factors That Can Make A Difference For You

Hearing Aids Making Tinnitus Worse? Causes &  Solutions ...

Everyone wonders, what is the best hearing aid? There actually is no “best” hearing aid. Consumer Reports says, “The best hearing aid for you depends on several factors, including the type and severity of your hearing loss, your lifestyle and your manual dexterity. However, a hearing aid that one person likes might not work for someone else. Therefore, we’ve identified the two biggest factors that can make a difference for you: Advanced technology to create the most effortless, comfortable experience possible, and how well your hearing aids are personalized by a trained professional.

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Its A Trick Of Perception

After wearing hearing aids for a few weeks, some people express concern that they cant hear as well without their devices as they could before they ever started using them. In reality, though, the misconception occurs because their brains are tricking them.

On average, a person experiencing hearing loss waits seven to ten years before seeking help from a hearing healthcare professional. Its common that their hearing ability will gradually worsen throughout that period of time. As a result, the brain gets more and more accustomed to hearing loss and begins to perceive their level of hearing ability as normal.

When you begin wearing hearing aids, the volume and clarity of sounds can seem jarring for the first few weeks. This happens because your brain is readjusting and learning to recognize a new normal level of hearing ability. Once that happens, your hearing loss becomes much more noticeable when you arent using hearing devices. You might find that without your devices, sounds seem drastically mutedbecause they are!

Can Hearing Aids Make Tinnitus Worse

There are those who believe a medical condition known as tinnitus can be exacerbated through the usage of hearing aids. At Beltone Dallas-Fort Worth, we invite our clients and prospective customers to read the following short blog addressing tinnitus and addressing how tinnitus might be impacted by hearing assistance devices.

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Can Listening To Music With My Headphones/earphones Cause Hearing Loss

It depends on the person, it depends on how long you are listening, and it depends on the level at which you’re setting your headphones/earphones at. Headphones, earphones appear to be the most damaging. Since noise-induced hearing loss is a result of loudness and duration of exposure, these devices may be capable of inducing a permanent hearing loss.

Why Can I Hear But The Sound Isnt Clear

Do Hearing Aids Make My Hearing Worse?

About 95% of hearing loss is sensorineural and is commonly referred to as nerve damage. This type of hearing loss is usually a result of the aging process, noise exposure, and several other factors. People with sensorineural hearing loss describe this hearing loss as an inability to hear speech clearly and frequently misunderstand what people say. They describe speech as sounding muffled, and report understanding conversation when in crowds and background noise as very difficult. Loudness is usually not as much a problem, mostly clarity of words. Sensorineural hearing loss is rarely treated by medical intervention and hearing aids are the most common method of treating the hearing problems associated with it.

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Does Your Hearing Degrade Without A Hearing Aid

Some people immediately shy away from the idea of getting hearing aids, either because they dont want others to know they have hearing loss or because they think the devices themselves are unsightly.

This can be very dangerous as failure to use a hearing aid can lead to progressively worsening problems with understanding sounds. Knowing how hearing aids work in conjunction with your ears can help you or a loved one make the critical decision to get fitted and improve the quality of your lives.

Tinnitus And Hearing Aids

There are those who opine that hearing aids cannot help and might potentially worsen the occurrence. In actuality, this perceived suggestion is a myth. The truth is that hearing aids may facilitate tinnitus relief for several reasons.

Hearing aids enable users to amplify the devices in quiet environments, which might reduce the loudness of the ringing caused by the manifestation. Additionally, hearing assistance contraptions foster a users ability to control the volume at which numerous loud sounds can be heard. Furthermore, certain devices are equipped with mechanisms that allow users to abate tinnitus through the playing of music or other melodic tones.

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Perceived Hearing And Actual Hearing

The longer you wear hearing aids, the more you get used to being able to hear more sounds. As a result, you notice a sizable difference when you dont have them in. For those who have worn hearing aids most of their lives, its not a major issue, but if you are a relative newcomer to wearing them, it can be. Thats because when its not a habit to wear your hearing aids, you end up forgetting them sometimes and having to have social interactions without them.

Without them, sounds seem less than you remember. However, your actual hearing levels are unlikely to have changed.

How Can I Be Sure Hearing Aids Wont Make My Hearing Worse

Hearing aids are generally found to help tinnitus, not ...

My first piece of advice is to have a proper hearing test, and then get hearing aids programmed from a licensed hearing provider. Armed with the results of your hearing test, your hearing provider will program your scores in to your new hearing aids. The hearing aids will come from the manufacturer with a maximum safe level whereby the sound cannot exceed. In addition, your hearing provider has tools at their disposal to prevent sounds from getting so loud that they could damage your hearing. As long as your aids are properly programmed, they will not make your hearing loss worse.

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> > > Scientists At Chicago School Of Medicine Have Uncovered What Exactly Triggers These Hearing Problems Through This Brain Scan

The most common cause of tinnitus, both subjective and objective, is damage to the inner ear. This can result from a variety of events including head trauma, severe burns, or car accidents. With the loss of the hair cells that create the hearing ability, the inner ear becomes damaged, which can then lead to loss of balance or difficulty with hearing. Even though there is no actual damage to the nerves inside the ear, this condition is known as deafness without damage to the ear itself.

Damage to the brain is also one of the main reasons behind the loss of hearing ability with tinnitus. When the brain experiences hearing loss or damage, it may incorrectly interpret the loss as damage to the ears themselves. This interpretation causes the ringing and other associated sounds to occur.

There are two main types of deafness: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive deafness is usually inherited through the family. In this case, the hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerve that transfers the sound from the external environment to the inner ear. Sensorineural deafness, on the other hand, is caused by damage to the sensitive structures within the inner ear. These structures include the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and movement control, as well as the cochlea, which provides the signal for the brain to translate the sound and produce a signal.

Just eat this for breakfast to regain your hearing in the evening.

Hearing Aid Myths That Hold You Back

Can hearing aids reduce these risks? Lin hopes to find out in a new study, still in the planning stages. These studies have never been done before, he notes. What we do know is that theres no downside to using hearing aids. They help most people who try them. And in those people, they can make all the difference in the worldallowing people to reengage with friends and family and to be more involved again.

Although nearly 27 million Americans age 50 and older have hearing loss, only one in seven uses a hearing aid. If you think your hearing has diminished, its worth making an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing check, Lin says. If you have hearing loss, dont let the following myths keep you from getting help.

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Hearing Aids Should Not Be Causing Ones Tinnitus To Worsen And If They Do A Visit To The Audiologist Is Necessary Says Rivka Strom Aud Ccc

The audiologist should check that the hearing aid is not set inappropriately loud, continues Strom.

Hearing Aid Adjustments

It is important that the audiologist perform a test called real ear measures to ensure appropriate settings of the hearing aid and to make sure the hearing aid never gets too loud to the point where it can exacerbate the tinnitus, explains Strom.

Further, there is a condition known as hyperacusis which is highly comorbid with tinnitus.

Hyperacusis refers to sensitivity to loud sounds. Severe hyperacusis occurs when an individual has difficulty tolerating everyday sounds which do not seem loud to others.

Hyperacusis is not a disorder thats caused by anxiety or the so-called all in a persons head. Its a real condition, and its not just a mere dislike of certain sounds.

Many people with hyperacusis do indeed suffer from tinnitus.

So while plugging ones ears at the sound of piercing screams from playing children or an ambulance siren do not reflect hyperacusis, plugging ones ears to the sound of leaves rustling, the sound of two people on TV kissing, or the sound of a fan would be very suggestive of hyperacusis, or at least, selective hyperacusis.

Sometimes, the noise of everyday sounds can literally cause ear pain in someone with severe hyperacusis.

Dr. Stromis a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and has received several awards including Brooklyn Colleges Excellence In Audiology Award.

How Hearing Loss Affects Your Brain

Will my hearing get worse?

Hearing relies on more than just your ears. In fact, the brain plays a huge role in distinguishing sounds from one another. This is particularly important when it comes to understanding language, which relies heavily on subtle auditory cues.

However, your brain needs practice in order to retain this skill. Over time, if it doesnt receive enough auditory input, your brain can lose the ability to distinguish between similar sounds and words. Wearing a hearing aid helps the language areas of your brain stay active and ensures you retain the ability to understand speech.

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How To Prevent Airplane Tinnitus

To prevent tinnitus, you will need to consider whether you need protection against sound-related tinnitus, altitude-related tinnitus, or both. Then apply these strategies:

  • Bring and wear sound-canceling headphones or earmuffs. You dont have to wear them the whole flight. Most people only experience discomfort when engines are at their loudest. Thats during take-off.
  • Do not wear earplugs. Earplugs can actually intensify your tinnitus.
  • Ask, in advance, to be seated away from the jets because of your health condition. This will be in the front of the plane.
  • Yawn and swallow as you ascend. Any activity where youre moving your jaw helps open up those eustachian tubes, which allows them to do their job better. Some find that chewing gum or sucking on hard candy helps as well.
  • Dont fly congested. The eustachian tubes become clogged when youre congested, and it can be painful in multiple ways. If you must fly, take a decongestant before flying to relieve these symptoms.
  • Stay awake during the planes ascent and descent, as the eustachian tubes have a much harder time adjusting while youre asleep.
  • Keep yourself distracted with in-flight entertainment, music, or even reading a book. These distractions can help you take your mind off the noise in your ears, especially if the other remedies dont work as well. You could always try having a conversation with your seatmate, but you might want to approach that one on a case-by-case basis .

March 13, 2019 By Arlington Hearing Center

The Links Between Hearing And Health

Brain scans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain, Lin says. Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.

As you walk, your ears pick up subtle cues that help with balance. Hearing loss mutes these important signals, Lin notes. It also makes your brain work harder just to process sound. This subconscious multitasking may interfere with some of the mental processing needed to walk safely.

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What You Need To Know Before Buying A Hearing Aid For Tinnitus

Before you buy hearing aids for tinnitus, its important to find out if there is a root cause for your condition. Since some drugs cause tinnitus as a side effect, changing prescriptions may be all that is needed.

Every hearing aid for tinnitus works by amplifying external sound. Others also include additional technologies, such as masking. Before you buy hearing aids for tinnitus, try out masking apps or videos for a period of several weeks . This will help you determine if masking will work for you. Masking apps dont correct hearing loss and wont be enough to combat tinnitus that accompanies hearing loss.

Only buy hearing aids that come with a risk-free trial as alleviating tinnitus takes time. Give yourself at least a month to determine if your hearing aids are the right ones for you.

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Your Hearing Is Essential

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From morning to night, your brain relies on your sense of hearing to keep you aware, informed and engaged with your environment. When you have hearing loss, your brain needs to fill in the gaps to compensate for what your hearing is missing. That puts a strain on other brain functions making it harder to follow the conversation, come up with appropriate responses and ask thoughtful questions. Once you feel behind in a conversation, it can feel impossible to catch up making you feel embarrassed, frustrated and exhausted and put you at risk for bigger problems down the road.

Hearing plays a big role in the moments that really matter to you like hearing your babys coos, laughing with friends, or connecting with a new client. Imagine all the moments that are still to come, but youre only able to experience a fraction of it.

Its now crystal clear that untreated hearing loss has a negative effect on your quality of life. The choice is in your hands you can either invest in a solution or pay the price of hearing loss.

It got to a point where I was saying “Huh?” all the time. So I was constantly missing out on conversations with people I love. Now I can hear everything and participate fully again thanks to my new hearing aids. Jimmy, TX

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