Hearing aids have allowed families to have fun together again. Rather than being frustrated by feeling that you’re excluding a senior relative, you can be confident that they are having a great time like the rest of the family.
It is extremely frustrating for someone to gradually lose their hearing. It can be equally as vexing to witness a family member begin to shed their once immaculate hearing.
For years, hearing aids have been used to facilitate someone’s hearing. But the technology has really advanced in recent years, which is welcomed news for so many aging individuals who want to hear the laughter of a grandchild, a J.S. Bach partita, or the nightly news.
That said, hearing aid clinics think they can enhance the experience by recommending several suggestions. By adopting these tips, you don’t need to crank up the hearing aid all the time, and you can ensure that the lifespan of these aids will be a lot longer.
Here are five things hearing aid clinics want you to know:
1. Gradually Get Accustomed to the Aids
Once you purchase your hearing aids, you must refrain from wearing them all day long. Yes, you’re excited that you can potentially hear everything again, but it is essential that you gradually become accustomed to the technology.
At first, experts say that you should only wear them for a few hours a day. As time goes by, then you can work your way up to sporting them for the entire day.
2. Always Clean Your Hearing Aids & Ears
Let’s be honest: as we get older, our ears become a little bit dirtier, thanks to the growing hairs. Not only do your ears become unhygienic, your hearing aids are also impacted.
The simple solution? Clean your hearing aids and ears on a regular basis.
Although your hearing aid clinic will proffer a hearing aid cleaning kit, you can also simply use a smooth, clean, dry cloth to wipe it down on a daily basis.
3. Routinely Check Their Batteries
To ensure top hearing aid functionality, it would be prudent to routinely inspect the batteries.
Industry professionals suggest using a battery tester each morning to make sure that the hearing aid batteries are sufficient. Also, when they are not in use, then it would be a good idea to shut them off and place them in a cool and dry location.
4. Close Your Eyes & Perform Listening Exercises
Either when you just wake up or when you’re about to go to sleep, many experts are encouraging patients to shut their eyes and perform listening exercises.
Unsure what to do exactly? Here are a few tips for the hearing impaired:
- Focus on specific sounds; for instance, listen to classical music and hone in on an instrument (violin, piano, drums, clarinet).
- Have someone move around the room and read something and repeat what they said.
- Meditation can help your hearing because it allows you to decipher sounds in loud environments.
- Solve brain puzzles to keep your mind sharp – there’s a connection between brain atrophy and hearing loss.
These types of listening exercises can improve your hearing, or they can find out if your hearing is getting worse.
5. Store Your Aids in a Proper Location
Lastly, when you take off your hearing aids before you to go to sleep, it is important to keep the hearing aids in a dry place without any moisture. Also, don’t leave them out in the open and refrain from having them endure extreme temperatures (deep freeze or heat).
Hearing aid technology has greatly evolved over the last decade. But researchers are finding out other ways to either improve your hearing or to ensure it doesn’t get any worse. A hearing aid clinic can work with you to determine which situation you’re in. At the same time, they can offer these tremendous service agents to allow you to enjoy life!
