Realistic Expectations

Hearing aids are highly effective when properly fitted and adjusted. They are designed to amplify sound, which means you may prefer one hearing aid over the other. It’s common for left and right hearing aids to have slight differences in fit and sound quality, but they should still be comfortable overall.
However, it’s important to understand that hearing aids do not restore normal hearing and cannot replicate the same quality as natural hearing. You may notice the presence of hearing aids in your ears, especially at first, and your voice may sound different or “funny” until you adjust to wearing them.
Effective communication relies on utilizing both ears for binaural hearing and integrating your vision and hearing. Relying solely on hearing aids may not facilitate optimal communication. It’s crucial to pay attention to the speaker’s gestures and facial expressions for enhanced understanding.
To improve communication, focus on watching the speaker, minimize the distance between you and the speaker, reduce background noise, and ensure adequate lighting. Trying to communicate across a room with distractions like a TV or while performing tasks like washing dishes can make communication challenging, even with high-quality hearing aids!

Additionally, it’s advisable not to wear hearing aids in extremely noisy environments, as they are not capable of completely eliminating background noise. While some hearing aids come with features that help in noisy settings, they cannot entirely block out all background sounds.
Many individuals wearing hearing aids often express frustration with background noise.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to entirely eliminate background noise. It’s important to remember that even for those with normal hearing, background noise can still be problematic at times. This remains true even with well-fitted hearing aids.
The good news is that the hearing treatments used by today’s medical professionals is designed to reduce or minimize background noise and other unwanted sounds. Research shows that digital hearing aids equipped with specific circuit and microphone options can effectively diminish background noise. While this made the noise seem quieter, it has the potential to affect the signal, including speech sounds. Modern approaches to reducing background noise involve noise processing strategies. And while these methods can be effective, they are not flawless. Directional microphones are also available and can be beneficial in improving the signal-to-noise ratio in challenging listening environments by reducing noise from the sides or behind you.
Although noise control features in most hearing aids can make noise more manageable, they may not completely eliminate it. For the most effective reduction of background noise, consider using a remote microphone (RM) or FM technology. Discuss this option with your hearing professional for personalized advice and recommendations.
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