We’ve talked with many of our patients about their hearing aid use and were surprised to discover roughly 30% of them don’t wear their hearing aids daily.
Consistently wearing your hearing devices is important for successfully treating your hearing loss. The more you wear them, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the better you’ll interact with your loved ones and surroundings.
Train Your Brain
Auditory stimulation boosts brain activity and allows it to relearn the sounds it’s been missing. If you only wear your hearing aids for a few hours a day, you deprive your auditory cortex of the opportunity to interpret speech and background noise.
Maybe you don’t like to wear your hearing aids because everything seems louder, including the ticking clock and humming refrigerator. Wearing your hearing aids frequently will help your brain learn to tune out those distracting background noises.
Reduce the Likelihood of Dementia
Depriving your brain of auditory stimuli means it must work harder to interpret the sounds you can hear. That increases your cognitive load and can leave you feeling mentally exhausted. Your brain pulls energy from other areas responsible for speech, memory and learning when it works overtime to hear, negatively affecting your other abilities.
A lack of cognitive function increases your likelihood of developing memory loss and dementia. Hearing loss may also cause social withdrawal, which is linked to a higher risk for depression and cognitive decline.
So, wearing your hearing aids gives your brain a much-needed mental workout that may prevent the onset of dementia and keep you socially engaged.
Lower Your Risk for Falls
Your ears are an important part of the intricate system that controls balance. Your inner ear contains loop-shaped structures filled with fluid and hairlike cells that shift when you move your head. That motion gives you a sense of your body’s orientation.
Hearing loss impairs your sense of equilibrium, increasing your risk for falls. Wearing your hearing aids can improve your balance and help you feel more stable on your feet. Listening also keeps you aware of your surroundings and alerts you to sounds like emergency sirens or phone calls.
How Often Should I Wear My Hearing Aids?
If you’re new to hearing aids, it’s normal to wear your devices three to five hours at a time each day. That will give you time to get physically adjusted to the shape and mentally accustomed to hearing more sounds.
Add an hour on as you get more comfortable with your hearing aids. Wear them in all kinds of soundscapes, including at home, restaurants and family gatherings.
At Audio Help, we can assist you with any hearing aid maintenance issues. More importantly, we’re here to guide you through your hearing journey as you acclimate to your hearing devices.
Ready to Find a Pair of Hearing Aids That’s Right for You?
Contact Audio Help Hearing Centers online or call 855-748-2330 to schedule your hearing aid appointment.
For hearing aid services near you, visit one of our five convenient locations:
- New York City, NY – Chelsea Village
- New York City, NY – Columbus Circle
- New York City, NY – Park Avenue
- Scarsdale, NY
- Stamford, CT
Visit our frequently asked questions for more information about our audiology and hearing aid services.
