Keeping your hearing aids in good condition is a must when these are necessary in most of your daily life activities. Your hearing aids, after all, are essential in communicating with others, enjoying music and nature sounds, and navigating your way in the world!
But there are likely things that you’re doing wrong with them! Keep in mind that hearing aids are complex electronic gadgets that are subject to wear and tear as well as damage. You have to know how to handle them well or else they will conk out prematurely.
Did we mention that hearing aids are expensive? There’s that matter of knowing what you’re doing wrong with them and of adopting better measures.
Wrong Storage
You don’t wear hearing aids to bed, to certain activities where moisture can be an issue and during alone time when silence is desired. In these cases, proper storage is a must to prolong their usable life.
But you may be placing them in the wrong places! These include moist places like the bathroom, under your pillow and in your hot car, and anywhere else where they can get wet, hot and squashed. You shouldn’t store them in a drawer full of kitchen tools, workshop tools and other large things that can damage them.
You should find a cool, dry and clean place where they can be stored when not in use, such as your bedside drawer. You have to place them in a box, too, so they don’t become mixed up with other odds and ends.
Tip: Leave their battery door open so as to let the battery compartment dry out. This will also prolong the batteries’ life.
Wrong Cleaning
Think of hearing aids as electronic appliances and, indeed, they are! As such, they can be damaged by dirt, dust and debris from your ears and the environment. They can also be damaged by moisture and earwax, which can burrow its way through the hearing aids’ tubing and receiver.
The result: Your hearing aids ceases to function well, if not stop functioning at all. In other words, you’re going about its cleaning in the wrong way! You’re either not cleaning them every day or cleaning them incorrectly.
Start by cleaning your hearing aids on a daily basis, such as in the evening after taking them off. Be sure to use a dry, soft cloth to clean their exterior parts. You should never ever use cleaning agents, such as alcohol, since these can result in internal damage – and water is a no-no, obviously.
Other wrong ways that you’re dealing with hearing aids is dropping them and wearing them during activities where moisture is present. These include swimming, taking a shower, going to the sauna, using a blow-dryer and spraying hair products, all of which means exposing your hearing aids to moisture. Just remove them first and put back later when you’re done with these activities.
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If you think you need an hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Just whistle while you work. While it’s good advice to boost your mood while at work, it isn’t a good sign when your hearing aids are at work! This is because whistling, a type of feedback, is a sign that something’s wrong with your hearing aids and you have to resolve it.
There’s also the fact that sudden whistling sounds, especially when heard for more than a minute, can be annoying and frustrating. You’re more likely to focus on the whistling sound than on the voice of the persons you’re in conversation with.
Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to determine the reason behind the whistling sound! Here are a few that we think are the common feedback-related issues.
Earwax Blockage in Your Ears
At their core, hearing aids work by sending sound waves into the ear canal. But when the sound waves encounter a physical blockage, these will bounce back into the hearing aids resulting in the whistling sound.
The common physical blockage is a build-up of earwax in the ear canal. Ear wax build-up isn’t just an icky thing but it can also cause earaches and worsen your hearing loss.
But never ever remove them on your own, much less use a Q-tip! You should have your ears cleaned by a professional and your hearing aids checked and cleaned for clogged vents.
Hearing Aids Aren’t Fitted Well
There are many ways that your hearing aids aren’t properly fitted and, thus, causing the whistling feedback.
First, these don’t fit your ears well. It may be that the hearing aids weren’t fitted well in the first place or your ears have changed in shape over the years.
The ear molds are the losing their seal around your ears resulting in sounds leaking out, thus, the whistling. In this case, you have to ask a hearing care professional for new and better-fitting ear molds.
Second, the tubes in the hearing aids are already damaged, usually through wear and tear. These require replacement, especially when these are already shrivelled up.
Third, the hearing aids aren’t properly placed in your ears. Don’t worry too much about it as it happens to everybody, especially during physical activities.
When you wear your hearing aids too loosely, the air also comes into your ear canal. You will then hear a whistling sound, as is the case when your ear molds aren’t well-fitted into your ears.
While you’re checking the proper placement of your hearing aids, you should also check that the volume is just right. When the volume’s too high, the sound waves are forced back into the hearing aids and the whistling sound happens.
You should also ask yourself whether your head covering, such as hat or scarf, is affecting the performance of your hearing aids. You may want to remove your head covering and adjust the hearing aids’ volume.
If the whistling feedback persists despite these measures, you should consult with your audiologist ASAP.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Since hearing aids improve the sense of hearing, these are considered as worthwhile investments. If you’re willing to make the financial commitment, you should look for these features whenever you’re buying new hearing aids! You will probably pay more for these features but you will be getting the best value for your money – and that, ladies and gents, is what you should look for in every purchase.
Programmable Capabilities
The hearing amplification products in the modern market have a wide range of features. Such are their differences that the cheapest hearing aids are akin to a Ford Pinto while the most expensive are the Lamborghinis. There’s just no comparison in their functionality, not even in their form!
Well, of course, programmability will cost you and cost you big time. But it’s a feature that pays for itself, so to speak, since it allows you to customize the settings according to your specific needs. And we’re not just talking about volume adjustments according to your hearing loss but according to the environment.
Background Noise Minimization
Many first-time users of hearing aids complain of the background noise overriding nearly everything else. This can be annoying and frustrating, not to mention that the background noise and feedback defeat the purpose of hearing aids.
As such, you should look for hearing aids with background noise minimization technology. High-end ones have a microprocessor able to distinguish between low-frequency sounds (background noise) and high-frequency sounds (voices and music). The microprocessor can amplify the high-frequency sounds while suppressing the low-frequency sounds.
Directional Microphones
Most hearing aids users want to use these devices to better understand speech and, thus, to feel more included and less isolated. This is where directional microphones come in.
Hearing aids with directionality typically have two or more directional microphones. These microphones have different times for receiving and transmitting sound, thus, the hearing aids have a different reaction to different sounds.
More importantly, the directional microphones pick up specific sounds from sources in front of the hearing aids. If you’re wearing these devices, you will be able to hear the voices and sounds of speech of the person in your front.
Telecoils
If feedback is an issue with you, be sure to ask your audiologist about telecoils. These are small copper coils in the hearing aids that significantly decrease feedback from other devices.
You can talk on the phone without worrying about annoying feedback, the hissing noise in the background, thanks to telecoils. You can also hook up, so to speak, telecoil technology to your home theater system so you can hear the soundtrack and dialogue better.
The overall design of the hearing aids matter as well, of course! But you should first look at these functional features.
If you need an new hearing aid, make sure to take the hearing test & assessment. For details, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing aids are expensive personal devices so changing them can be a tricky issue. You’re likely reluctant to change them when they’re still working, sort of, because of the cost. You may put up with the occasional breakdowns just to extend their use.
But there are instances when changing your hearing aids is a must, a matter of maintaining your sense of hearing over time! Here are a few instances that, indeed, it’s time to buy new hearing aids.
Five Years Is the Limit
Most modern hearing aids will work well between five and seven years. You may want to make it last for, say, 10 years to get the best value for your money. But your hearing aids will breakdown within five years or so regardless of proper use and care.
Why? Hearing aids are complicated technological devices that are subjected to more wear and tear than your usual smartphone. There’s also the matter of hearing aids being exposed to bodily substances, such as ear wax and ear moisture, which hasten the wear and tear.
Tip: Consider changing your hearing aids in five years’ time.
Major Lifestyle Changes Have Happened
There are no one-size-fits-all hearing aids and, in fact, the best ones are customized to the specific needs and wants of their user. In the same vein, there’s no one pair of hearing aids that will work for all lifestyle preferences.
You should consider getting new hearing aids if you’ve made major changes in your lifestyle or your new job demands it. You may, for example, become more physically active or your new job has higher noise levels. Your old hearing aids may not be up to the job.
Changes in Health Have Happened, Too
Keep in mind that hearing aids should be customized to your hearing needs and wants. If you experience significant changes in your hearing, you have to consult with your audiologist about new hearing aids. This is true whether you’re hearing has improved or worsened since new features will likely be necessary.
But it isn’t just your hearing that should be considered when changing hearing aids. You may want new ones because your fingers aren’t as agile as before or your skin is easily irritated by your old hearing aids.
For example, in-the-canal hearing aids are more difficult to operate than behind-the-ear devices. The small battery door of the former makes it challenging to open for people with arthritis.
Your attitude toward hearing aids will also change with time. You may want new hearing aids because you have a greater appreciation for them or you want better features. You may even want to change your old ones because these are cheap and you can now afford more expensive ones.
Of course, you shouldn’t change your hearing aids on a whim! You have to work with your audiologist to ensure that, indeed, you’re getting the best ones for your needs.
If you need an new hearing aid, make sure to take the hearing test & assessment. For details, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing aids make it easy to hear external sounds coming from televisions, radios and smartphones as well as the voices of people and animals. But there are instances when these external sounds are just too loud, too many and too noisy!
What then can you when you’re in a noisy environment that makes wearing your hearing aids uncomfortable? Here are a few effective steps to cope.
Determine the Quietest and Loudest Areas
You can’t always control the sources of sound and their volume. This is particularly true in public places, such as restaurants, pubs and public transportation, although it can also happen in your home. You may be throwing a private party and your guest are enjoying the music, for example.
Your first step then is to identify the quietest and loudest spots. You can then find a place in the quietest spot so you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the loud noises.
For example, in a public bus with music blasting from speakers, the quietest spot will likely be the front seat near the driver. You may want to sit in this spot instead of at the back where most of the speakers are installed.
Find a Face-friendly Position
Once you have chosen the quietest spot, you should find a position where you can see other people’s faces, as many as possible. This isn’t bringing attention to yourself although it may initially seem like it. Instead, it’s about being able to look at the facial expressions, hand gestures and body language of the people you’re in the room with.
You can then make appropriate responses even when you can’t hear too well above the noise. You may even be able to lip read and it’s something that will come in handy in many situations.
You may also find a position where most of the noise is behind your back. You may also request the person you’re talking with to sit with his back to a wall, which will act as a barrier against the noise. You shouldn’t hesitate to ask the host or hostess for a seat at the table that will allow you to engage in conversations with little of the noise.
Plus, look for a place with good lighting. You will then be able to see what your family and friends are doing so you don’t feel left out. There’s also the fact that you can see them and, again, look for visual cues.
Most important, always protect your ears and their hearing ability. You may have to leave the place if the noise becomes too loud. Your already fragile ears have to be protected from further stress and it may mean limiting your social life to fairly quiet gatherings.
We are a specialist centre offering hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid prescription. If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com