Recent research with patients has revealed that some people do not wear their hearing aids full-time. They indicate that there are certain times during the week when they don’t bother to use their devices, with the most common reason being that they are alone in their home, and cannot understand why they need to wear their devices when it is unlikely that they will be interacting with another person.
Another reason patients indicate for not wearing their hearing aids all the time is that they are uncomfortable, and therefore they are used only when they feel they will “really need them”
Virtually every audiologist will tell patients that it is almost impossible to benefit from the technology offered by your hearing aids if they do not work during all your waking hours. If a reason you are not wearing them all the time relates to discomfort, that is a clear sign that you need to make an appointment with your audiologist to have your devices adjusted. If your hearing aids are fixed so they fit properly, you should not be aware that you are wearing them, other than that you are aware that you are hearing better. Many people comment that their hearing aids fit so well that they forget they are in their ears, and as a result, they occasionally will get into the shower wearing their devices…..something definitely not recommended.
Wearing hearing aids full-time is a very important indication from an audiological perspective. For hearing aids to provide you with maximum performance, they need to be in your ears all the time, so your brain can adjust to them. To this end, if you only wear them occasionally, each time you put them in your ears, your brain has to relearn the communication from the hearing aids.
Another important reason to wear hearing aids full time is to develop a routine similar to brushing your teeth twice daily, that becomes normal for you to put your hearing aids in when you get up in the morning, and keep them in until bedtime. Suppose you do not have this part of your routine. In that case, you will not benefit from some of the most important benefits of hearing aids, the protection from serious health concerns such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and depression.
So do yourself an important lifetime favor, and develop a routine where you put your hearing aids in when you awake, and do not take them out until you retire for the night. This will be a very important favor you can do for yourself to protect your health for the future.
