How Long Does It Take To Adjust To Hearing Aids
It can take up to 12 weeks to fully adjust to your hearing aids.
When you have a hearing loss you often lose your hearing gradually and your brain adapts accordingly. So when you are fitted with your hearing aids, you get an instant benefit, but you will need time to adjust to hearing again. Essentially you are retraining your brain to hear sounds at a louder level, so the more you wear the hearing aids the better chance you give yourself to adjust to your new level of hearing.
Youll suddenly hear things such as clothes rustling, water running, your own voice, clocks ticking etc slightly louder than before – sounds that are everyday ones to someone with normal hearing will seem new to someone with a new hearing aid.
The clinician will book an appointment for two weeks after your fitting, which will either be by phone or face-to-face, to check how youre getting on with your hearing aids and to see if you require any further adjustments.
Will I Have Any Further Appointments
You will need to return to the Audiology Department on a 6 monthly basis to have your hearing aid maintained. You will be provided with contact details for you to arrange this. You will not be routinely offered a follow up appointment. The Audiology Department has an open access policy, which means you can contact the department at any time to arrange further follow up appointments and hearing assessments. You do not require another referral from your doctor.
In some cases, your hearing test results or responses during the medical history taking may lead to a recommendation from the audiologist to have a referral to the Ears, Nose and Throat department. If you agree to this, the audiologist will contact your doctor via a letter to arrange this.
Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Audiology Department 624833
About the Trust
S Of A Hearing Aid Fitting
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Like many medical maladies, the process for solving hearing loss can be a lengthy one. Hearing loss requires proper diagnosis, accomplished through a series of tests, choosing the right hearing aids and making sure the hearing aids are properly fitted. The hearing aid fitting is one of the most important steps of the process. The appointment, which can last between one and two hours, often involves four steps.
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Getting Your Devices Fitted
In addition to learning about your hearing aids, your audiologist will also insert them into your ear and program them according to the results of your hearing test. They will then conduct a few more hearing tests, such as a real ear measurement, with and without your hearing aids in to determine the best programming and settings for your devices.
The goal of having your hearing aids programmed is to ensure you will get the most out of them during your everyday life, with the least amount of effort as possible. Your audiologist wants your hearing aids to be easy for you to wear, this means helping program them so they switch between different sound environments seamlessly.
After your hearing aids have been properly fitted, your audiologist will provide you with a schedule to wear them during the next two weeks to one month. This will help you become accustomed to hearing all the sounds around you again, while also allowing you to note any environment or sound situation where your hearing aids may be working less than desirably. These issues will be handled at a follow-up appointment with your audiologist.
Your hearing aid fitting is an exciting time and you should be looking forward to hearing again! Talk with your audiologist about any questions or concerns you may have.
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What Happens In A Fitting Session
It is natural to feel quite apprehensive about a procedure you are new to. However, it is your audiologists responsibility to calm your nerves. At the hearing aid fitting, the audiologist will calibrate your devices to suit your preferences and different environments.
Although you have had an earlier hearing test, audiologists may conduct further tests to establish any diagnosis they may have missed earlier. Whatever your audiologist does will be explained in detail to you. That way, you know what to expect.
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Does The Fitting Change Depending On The Type Of Hearing Aid
If you choose an open fit style, in some instances, you could walk out with your hearing aids professionally fitted and programmed on the same day as your hearing test.
If you choose an in the ear style, a mould of your ear is taken to ensure your hearing aid fits perfectly and it is very comfortable to wear. You only need impressions taken for custom-fit hearing aids or if you are having an ear mould made for your hearing aid.
Have You Worn Hearing Aids Before
Finally, its important to consider any prior hearing aid experience when selecting a new hearing aid. Did you love your last set of hearing aids? Why? Did you like the style, the sound quality or something else? What did you have difficulty hearing with your old hearing aids? What new features would you like to try? This type of insight will help your hearing professional determine what you will need in your new hearing instruments to maintainor improveyour level of satisfaction.
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Itching In The Ear Canal
As tempting as it is to rip out your hearing aid and stick your finger in your ear to get rid of the annoying itch, we advise you not to do this. Sticking anything in your ear can result in worsening problems with ear wax compaction and can even lead to damage to the ear drum. The best thing to do is to clean your ears with a spray or drops every evening to moisturise the ear canal. Products such as the Earol Olive Oil Spray can help.
What Should I Expect From My Hearing Aid
Digital hearing aids are fitted to your hearing loss. Your digital hearing aid will adjust automatically according to the setting and environment that you are in. A hearing aid is not going to restore your hearing however, it should help you with the hearing difficulties that you have been experiencing. You should be able to hear many everyday sounds that you may not otherwise be able to hear. You may also begin to hear sounds that you have forgotten, such as the rustling of your jacket or the hum of your fridge. Many of these forgotten sounds may be quite noticeable at first but they will soon become acceptable as you wear the hearing aid and adapt to it.
Many new hearing aid users note that their voices sound different to themselves again this will become acceptable over time. You will need to be motivated and have perseverance to go through the rehabilitation process of wearing the hearing aid. Acquiring the full benefit from your hearing aid is a gradual process. Most new hearing aid users will take between 8 and 12 weeks on average to acclimatise to the amplification. If you have decided to have two hearing aids, it is important that you wear them as a pair, as they are set up to work in unison with each other.
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Can I Get Financial Help With Hearing Aid Costs
If you decide that NHS Hearing Aids are not for you then buying Hearing aids privately can sometimes be an expensive investment. Some models can be as much as a secondhand family car. Not at Hearing Direct. Our founding principal was to provide affordable hearing aids direct to the customer. There are various other ways to make it more affordable:
Can I pay by installments?
It is crucial to know which type of hearing aid is the most appropriate for your individual condition. Once you know your options, it is wise to shop around as prices can vary considerably even for the same model. Some high street hearing aid retailers have special monthly installment packages. You will usually have to pay part of the sum at the time of purchase and the rest will be split over a specific number of months. Such packages may seem convenient and affordable but you need to be aware of the interest rate as very few offer interest free options. In many cases, the final total cost for a hearing aid could be a lot more than the initial price. Paying a small sum every month may seem more affordable in the short term but can be very expensive in the end. It is also important to take the lifetime of the hearing aid into account when thinking about repayments.
Will my Health Insurance cover the costs?
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What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Tinnitus
The most effective way to treat this symptom is to understand its cause. If it is stemming from a physical nature, you may need to consult with rehabilitation professionals like Physiotherapists or Acupuncturists, who may be able manage the source of the problem. If it is from an acoustic nature, hearing aids can typically help to manage this issue. No matter what brought on your tinnitus, there is no known magical cure to stop the perceived, source-less noise in your ears. That said, using a holistic approach to analyze your situation and using modern Audiology tools and solutions, are your best chances at helping you manage your symptoms without letting it come in the way of your personal or professional lifestyle.
The first step to resolve your tinnitus is to get a proper diagnosis of the root cause.
- If an underlying medical problem has led to tinnitus, treating that issue may help you get relief from the noise in your ears.
- If the tinnitus is chronic, your Audiologist may recommend fitting you with appropriate tinnitus management hearing aids. These may include sound masking as well as tinnitus retraining therapy. The device can:
- Generate a noise that masks or minimizes the phantom sounds in your ears.
- Produce customizable, low-level sounds that soothe your mind, and help you refocus on the tasks at hand, despite the tinnitus symptoms.
- Essentially, hearing aids are meant to help distract your brain from listening and paying attention to the ringing noise itself.
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Faqs About A Hearing Aid Fitting
Just like eyeglasses or a new pair of shoes, the fit of your hearing aids is one of the most important aspects of the hearing aid process. A hearing aid fitting usually takes about an hour or so and when its finished, you will hear things differently! There isnt too much involved in preparing for your fitting. Here are some frequently asked questions about the process.
What Are Your Preferences
There are many different types of preferences that can affect hearing aid selection. Do you want hearing aids that are nearly invisible, or would you rather have something large enough that allows you to pick a bright color and show off your style? Do you prefer to have control over the volume of your aids or would you prefer to have automated technology that changes it for you? Do you want gadgets, like remote controls and wireless accessories for your hearing aids?
Your preferences may be affected by your level of manual dexterity, especially when it comes to selecting your preferred style of hearing aid batteries. Do you prefer rechargeable batteries that you dock each night? If not, will you be willing and able to change a small battery every few days to weeks? These are just a few of the preferences that the hearing care professional will explore with you.
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What Will Be Different With Hearing Aids
You will notice sounds you havent heard in a while, especially in a quiet room. It may seem as if your voice and others sound a little funny. It takes time for your brain to adjust to the new sounds. Your audiologist may suggest you begin wearing your units at home and then gradually work up to wearing them out. Background noise can be distracting at first, so it may take a few days to work up to going out to eat or to a party.
Ear Molds For Hearing Aids
In some cases, you need ear molds for your hearing aids. To make the ear molds, casts of the ear canals must be made so that the ear molds fit into the ear canal as no ear canals are alike, like fingerprints or pinnas of the ear.
When making the ear mold, the ear canal is filled with a kind of wax to make a cast which is subsequently removed after a couple of minutes. This procedure does not hurt but it may feel a bit strange – a bit like having your ears filled with water. The cast is then used to make the actual ear mold. This may take some days or a few weeks.
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Factors That Impact Battery Life
The life of a hearing aid battery varies considerably. Many factors will influence the life of your hearing aid batteries.
- Model of hearing aid. The hearing aid market is vast, with many models available to buy. Some, however, are better than others are preserving battery life. But even within a specific hearing aid brand, one model can be considerably better than others regarding battery consumption.
- Hearing aid use. To work effectively, hearing aids require consistent optimal power. Therefore, its not surprising that the more you use your hearing aids, the quicker you will drain the battery. The only time that the battery power is not being used is when the hearing aids are switched off.
- Brand of batteries. Several brands provide specialist batteries for hearing aids. Within each of these brands, there are usually two or more lines of power technology. This will also influence the battery life.
Are Expired Batteries Safe To Use
Go ahead and used an expired battery and see what happens. You may be lucky and it lasts a long time for you or you may be unlucky and it dies quickly on you.
There is no personal safety risk of using an expired battery. The risk that you run is that the hearing aids will stop working on you until you insert another fresh battery.
Another risk is that the hearing aid advanced functions, such as streaming, may be intermittent. Streaming to the hearing aid via a Bluetooth device takes a lot of power and voltage. If one or more of the hearing aid cells are spent, the battery cannot provide enough current for the feature and it may make the hearing aid intermittent.
Both of those risks are quite low as it will cause no damage to the hearing aids or your ears. The only real potential problem is you being possibly annoyed by having to replace the battery at an inconvenient time.
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How Do I Care For My Hearing Aids
- Proper maintenance and care is important in extending the life of your hearing aids.
- Avoid using solvents, alcohol, or water on hearing aids because they can cause damage to the internal electronics of the hearing aid.
- Avoid exposing hearing aids to heat because this can damage them. For example, leaving them in sun or in the car, placing them in or near a microwave or conventional oven, or using a hair dryer on them.
- Clean hearing aids as instructed. Earwax and ear drainage can damage your aids.
- Avoid using hairspray and other hair care products while wearing your hearing aids.
- Turn off your hearing aids when not in use.
- Replace dead batteries immediately.
- Keep batteries and hearing aids away from children and pets.
- We recommend visiting a hearing healthcare professional on a regular basis to have your hearing aids inspected.
Are Hearing Aid Fittings Long Procedures
The time spent at hearing aid fittings varies among clients. Usually, it can take up to an hour for the fitting to come to an end. However, it would help if you freed up two hours of your schedule for the hearing aid fitting. You are better off expanding the timeframe to make way for unforeseen events. The more time you allow, the less pressured you will be during the fitting. You must know that it is rare for a hearing aid fitting to go beyond an hour.
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One: Hearing Aid Evaluation
First, your audiologist will conduct a hearing aid evaluation. He or she will record the softest sound you can hear at different pitches and figure out what level of sound is uncomfortably loud for you. This test will determine how much amplification your hearing aid needs. Your audiologist might also ask questions about how much your hearing loss impacts your day-to-day-life, when you first noticed symptoms, and whether or not you experience tinnitus. Tell your audiologist what youre looking forward to doing with your new hearing aids, as your lifestyle will affect your selection. For example, do you often chat on the phone? Do you enjoy dining at busy restaurants with lots of background noise? Have you been avoiding any environments or situations due to your hearing loss? After your hearing evaluation, your audiologist should have a good understanding of the severity and particularities of your hearing loss.