Echo Audiology: Hearing & Audiology Clinic Orléans

What Happens If You Do Not Use Your Hearing Aids Regularly?

What Happens If You Do Not Use Your Hearing Aids Regularly?

You Could Go Back in ‘Hearing Loss Land’, Explain Your Trusted Ottawa Audiologists

If a hearing test in Ottawa has led to you finding out you have hearing loss, you may have already invested in a suitable set of hearing aids. But the key question is: are you using your hearing aids all day long, from the time you wake up, till you go to bed? For individuals with hearing loss, the ability to hear typically continues to get progressively worse, regardless if hearing aids are used or not.. However, occasional use of your hearing devices could lead to worsening of speech understanding and processing of sound faster than if you were to use them regularly.

The qualified and experienced Audiologists at Echo Audiology in Ottawa explain why it is important to use your hearing aids as much as you can during your waking hours.

Not Using Hearing Aids Regularly Could Lead to Auditory Deprivation

Whether you are outdoors at a busy, noisy location, or indoors in the comfort of your home, wearing hearing aids on a regular basis helps your brain filter out useless sounds like the background noise of the electrics in your home, and detect useful sounds, like speech. Since hearing aids operate like a doorway to your brain, keeping this gateway partially closed during the day means that your brain has to constantly acclimate between two listening styles – your hearing loss itself vs your improved hearing with the help of of hearing aids. When you do not use your hearing aids for extended periods:

  • You hear less and miss out on certain important sounds.
  • You decrease your ability to filter unwanted sounds, which can backtrack the adaptation you had already achieved with your hearing aids
  • Your auditory nerves do not receive adequate stimulation, sometimes resulting in auditory deprivation. (Your brain forgets how to process certain words or sounds, or recognize speech, which can increase your level of stress in regards to your hearing).

Not using your hearing aids for long periods is like going back to ‘hearing loss land’, where you have to start the acclimating process all over again. This would mean wearing your device for a few hours each day, working up to a full-wear day. It is about re-training your brain to adapt to the hearing world. Besides deterioration in recognizing speech clearly, irregular use of hearing aids can increase the risks of slips and falls, memory problems, cognitive decline, productivity loss, poor social interactions, and a sense of isolation.

See an Audiologist at your Trusted Ottawa Audiology Clinic Today

Hearing aids serve as a critical tool for your brain to block out unnecessary sounds and pick up the relevant ones to compensate for your hearing loss. If you have not yet invested in hearing aids, consult an Audiologist at Echo Audiology, your local, independent hearing health clinic in Ottawa. We can help you get the right set of hearing aids in Ottawa, based on your hearing test results, lifestyle, and budget. If you are experiencing any discomfort due to irregular use of your hearing aids, we can find the right device, reprogram your existing device, or offer other solutions and counselling to help you tolerate the period of adjustment.

Learn more about Echo Audiology’s comprehensive hearing health solutions in Ottawa. Call 613-841-3033 or contact us online.