One of the questions our audiologists sometimes get at our Mesa and Scottsdale hearing clinics is this: “Do hearing aids affect your REAL hearing?”
It’s a valid question, and the answer may surprise you. But first, let’s talk a little bit about the purpose of hearing aids and how they work.
How do hearing aids help you hear better?
You probably already know that hearing aids are small electronic devices that are specifically designed to improve hearing, hence the name! In simple terms, they work by making sounds louder and delivering them to the ear. This enables people with hearing loss to detect sounds they might not otherwise be able to hear.
There are 5 key components that work together to make hearing aids help you hear better:
- Microphone – The microphone inside the hearing aid picks up sounds from the environment and converts them into electrical signals.
- Amplifier – The electrical signals are then sent to an amplifier. Here, the strength of the signals is increased and the volume is adjusted based on a user’s specific hearing needs.
- Receiver – The amplified signals are transmitted to a receiver which converts them back into acoustic signals.
- Earpiece – Then, the acoustic signals travel to the user’s ear through a small earpiece or speaker. This piece can be positioned behind the ear, such as in Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids, or within the ear, such as with In-the-Canal (ITC) Hearing Aids. Both types work well but BTE hearing aids are more visible and ITC hearing aids are more discreet.
- Customized Settings – Modern hearing aids typically come with various features and settings that can be personalized to meet the wearer’s specific hearing needs. These settings may include adjustments for different listening environments or noise reduction, among other things.
By amplifying and processing sounds, hearing aids can help people with hearing loss hear more clearly and effectively. This can then lead to improved speech comprehension, increased auditory awareness, and easier engagement in everyday activities such as conversation.
How do hearing aids affect your real hearing?
Now, let’s look at the question we first started out with … DO hearing aids affect your real hearing? The short answer is … YES, but maybe not in the way that you think.
First, hearing aids affect your real hearing in a positive way. That is, as long as you’re using the right type of hearing aids for your specific type of hearing loss. And, as long as those hearing aids have been correctly fitted to your ears and adjusted properly.
When you use the best hearing aids for YOU, and when they’ve been fitted properly by a hearing professional such as an audiologist, your real hearing benefits. Your natural hearing may stay sharper for longer and the natural hearing loss that happens with age may be slowed.
Hearing aids may impact how you view your real hearing.
Now, do hearing aids affect your real hearing in a negative way? No! However, they COULD make you become more aware of the severity of your hearing loss.
Many people wait years before they seek hearing loss treatment. That’s because their hearing declines gradually over time and they often don’t know how poor it is until they schedule a hearing test.
Once you start wearing hearing aids, you go through an adjustment process. During this time, the brain re-learns how to process sounds that it hasn’t been exposed to in quite a while.
After you’ve adjusted to wearing hearing aids and become accustomed to hearing better, it may sound strangely quiet when you take your hearing aids out at bedtime or before you go for a swim. This could lead you to believe that wearing hearing aids has caused your natural hearing to decline further, but this is not the case. Rather, your brain has simply become used to hearing well!
Hearing Aid Fittings and Hearing Loss Treatment in Mesa and Scottsdale, AZ
It’s important to note that hearing aids are not a cure for hearing loss. However, they can significantly improve an individual’s ability to hear and communicate in various situations.
Thanks to recent legislation, self-fitting, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are now available at many pharmacies and other retail establishments. For the ultimate hearing experience, however, we recommend hearing aids that are selected, fitted, and adjusted by a hearing health professional. That way, you’ll have hearing aids specifically designed to meet your unique hearing needs, lifestyle factors, and budget requirements.
To find out if you have hearing loss, schedule an appointment with one of our audiologists today. We offer hearing tests, hearing aid fittings, and a variety of other hearing healthcare services at our offices located in Mesa and Scottsdale, AZ.
You DON’T have to continue living with untreated hearing loss. Make the choice to invest in your hearing health today so you can hear well and live well!
