A Guide to Hearing Aids: What Every Senior Should Know
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A Guide to Hearing Aids: What Every Senior Should Know

A Guide to Hearing Aids: What Every Senior Should Know

As a person ages, their hearing begins to go. This makes it challenging to visit with friends and family or watch a favorite television show in Oshkosh. Hearing aids can make it easier. This guide provides all the information you need to get started with a hearing aid.

Types of Hearing Aids

Most hearing aids fall into two categories. These include digital and non-digital hearing aids.

Non-digital hearing aids are the more traditional hearing aids. They amplify sounds, so you can hear more clearly. However, they are prone to feedback, making it more difficult to hear specific sounds. Digital hearing aids are usually smaller and provide better sound quality with less feedback. Depending on the model, they offer other features, such as linking up with wireless devices to allow you to hear phone calls and music more clearly.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Hearing Aid

When choosing a hearing aid, there are some factors you should consider:

  • The extent of your hearing loss.
  • A pair of hearing aids can cost between $90 and $4,000. This makes it essential that you set a budget before you begin shopping. 
  • Your lifestyle can play a big part in the type of hearing aid you buy. Are you spending a lot of time outdoors? Do you mostly spend time at home?

These factors can inform your final choice of hearing aids. 

Potential Side Effects and Limitations

As with most things, hearing aids aren't a cure-all. You'll find some side effects and limitations, including:

  • Amplified background noise, making it difficult to pick out a single speaker
  • Feedback noise
  • Headaches
  • Discomfort around or in the ear
  • Unpredictable sound quality
  • Batteries that die at the worst possible time

These are all things to consider before investing in a hearing aid.

How to Keep Your Hearing Aids Working Properly

Without properly working hearing aids in Appleton, you're back to struggling to hear. Here are some things you can do to help them last:

  • Routinely change the batteries
  • Turn them off when you aren't using them
  • Don't submerge them in water
  • Keep them clean
  • See your audiologist for frequent checkups
  • Use care to avoid damage

With the proper care, your new hearing aids can help you hear for years to come. 

Tips for Making Hearing Aids Easier to Use

If it's your first time using a hearing aid, it can be challenging and feel foreign. Here are some tips for making it easier:

  • Find a local class for wearing hearing aids
  • Start by practicing wearing the hearing aids at home
  • Go to all follow-up appointments
  • Expect a certain level of frustration
  • Plan to take breaks from wearing them

These tips can help you become accustomed to wearing your hearing aids. 

Partner With Senior Helpers Appleton

Whether it's keeping up with a hearing aid or other daily activities in Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh, and the surrounding Fox Cities area, a senior might need help. Senior Helpers Appleton is ready to provide that help. Contact us today!