Atlanta Hearing Loss Blog

Getting used to a new hearing aid takes time. As any Atlanta hearing aid service provider will tell you, it is not at all easy to adjust to wearing a hearing aid. It can feel uncomfortable or awkward at first. Here are some tips to make the transition a bit smoother:

• While you are at the Atlanta hearing aid service provider’s office for your fitting, take some time to learn all that you can about your hearing aid. Make sure you understand how to replace the batteries, and practice doing so yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and take your time—your hearing aid is going to be very important to you, so it is essential that you Getting used to a new hearing aid takes time. As any Atlanta hearing aid service provider will tell you, it is not at all easy to adjust to wearing a hearing aidare fully knowledgeable about it.

• Gradually adjust to wearing your hearing aid if you find that it feels uncomfortable. Wear it for a few hours at a time, working your way up until you can wear it for longer periods of time. It may take you several days or a couple of weeks before you can become used to wearing it full time.

• You may notice that your own voice seems very loud to you once you begin wearing a hearing aid. Some people are able to get used to this change with time. If it is truly bothersome to you, visit your Atlanta hearing aid service to see if your audiologist can make an adjustment in your hearing aid.

• Start slowly with your new hearing aid. Complex environments—such as restaurants and bars—may be overwhelming and frustrating if you are not used to filtering sounds with your hearing aid. Try listening to television or the radio while having a conversation to practice filtering. With time, your brain will gain great skill at filtering nearby and important sounds—and you will soon be ready for restaurant and bar visits.

• If the background noise seems to be too loud when you wear your hearing aid, you may need to see your Atlanta hearing aid service in order to have an adjustment made. Certain adjustments can help to lessen background sounds.

• Some hearing aid wearers complain that it is difficult to use their cell phones because they hear buzzing or other sounds of interference. If this happens with you and your cell phone, take your cell phone to your Atlanta hearing aid service center. They may be able to adjust your hearing aid in order to function properly with your cell phone model.

• Practice other communication skills. Because your hearing aid does not return your hearing back to normal, it will still be necessary to use other forms of communication. Ask your Atlanta hearing aid service for suggestions on how to effectively communicate with others.

• Hearing aids function differently in various situations. You will need to learn to adjust in different settings. For example, listening to a person speak in a quiet room is not at all like filtering the sound of a person speaking to you outside amongst heavy traffic.

When you visit an Atlanta hearing aid provider such as Atlanta Hearing Associates, you will need to make a decision about the type of hearing aid which will be best for you. Your audiologist will assist you in making this decision, of course, but it can be helpful to know about your options ahead of time.

There are many brand names and several styles of Atlanta hearing aids available; however, there is one general rule to keep in mind when making a selection: The smaller a hearing aid is, the more likely it is that it will cost more, have a shorter battery life, and be less powerful.

Atlanta Hearing Aid

Common Atlanta Hearing Aid Styles

All types of hearing aids work to carry sounds from the environment into your ear. There are, however, a few different styles from which you and your audiologist can choose:

• Completely in-the-canal hearing aid: This Atlanta hearing aid is custom molded to fit inside your ear canal and is considered to be the least noticeable style of hearing aid. This model does not, however, contain volume control or any other extra features. This style is not likely to pick up wind noise because the ear provides protection to the hearing aid.
• In-the-canal hearing aid: This model is also custom molded; however, it fits only partly inside the ear canal. Because of this, in-the-canal Atlanta hearing aids are able to include volume control or other features—although these features may be somewhat difficult to adjust due to the small size of the hearing aid. This style of hearing aid is not easily visible in the ear, which many users prefer.
• Half-shell hearing aid: Also custom molded, this style of hearing aid fits around the lower part of the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear. This hearing aid model is bigger than in-canal aids, but this allows it to include easy-to-control features like volume control and microphones.
• In-the-ear full-shell hearing aid: This type of hearing aid is custom made to fit the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear. Easy-to-adjust features are typically included on this style of Atlanta hearing aid. This style also uses larger, long-lasting batteries. But, full-shell aids are likely to pick up wind noise, which many users find irritating.
• Behind-the-ear hearing aid: This style hooks over the top of your ear and rests behind the earlobe. Sound is picked up and carried to an ear mold that fits inside the ear canal. This type of Atlanta hearing aid used to be the most visible type of hearing aid; however, newer versions are more streamlined and less visible. Many audiologists believe that this is the most effective type of hearing aid.
• Open fit hearing aid: This style of Atlanta hearing aid is very small and fits behind the ear. Sound travels through a small wire or tube into a speaker in the ear canal. This model does not have any extra features, and it is only suggested for use in people with mild to moderate hearing loss.