During this pandemic, it is common (and encouraged) to be spending significantly more time at home. This means many aspects of your normal routine have been altered, such as dressing in business casual and commuting to the office. While it is fine to wear more comfortable clothing and skip some aspects of your beauty regimen, there is one thing that should not change – how often you are wearing your hearing aids.
Wear Them All Waking Hours
According to audiologists, you should wear your hearing aids during all your waking hours, even if you never leave your house. This helps keep your brain sharp and prevents auditory deprivation. According to Dr. Catherine Palmer, president of the American Academy of Audiology, “The brain isn’t good at trying to listen in two ways—through the hearing loss and through the amplification system. The ear is a doorway to the brain, it doesn’t make sense to have it partially closed part of the day.”
People with hearing loss cannot hear sounds at specific frequencies. This means these soundwaves are no longer being converted into electrical impulses within the inner ear and being sent to the brain to be interpreted. If your hearing loss is left untreated, your brain is deprived of these sounds and can forget how to hear certain words and sounds. This is known as auditory deprivation, which can occur if you stop wearing your hearing aids.
Hearing Aids Require Adjustment
When you first get hearing aids, there is an adjustment period, as you are not used to hearing certain sounds. Sounds may feel too loud or unfamiliar. You will usually start by wearing your hearing aids for only a few hours a day and slowly build up until you are wearing them all day. The adjustment period can take between two to three weeks.
If you stop wearing your hearing aids for an extended period of time, you’ll have to redo this adjustment period whenever you start wearing them again. This requires a lot of mental energy as your brain tries to relearn how to process these newly forgotten sounds.
In addition, hearing aids can help you at home just as much as they did when you were able to attend large gatherings and eat at crowded restaurants. They can keep you connected to loved ones by improving phone calls and connect directly to your television to provide a better watching experience. To learn more about the importance of wearing your hearing aids, even when you are stuck at home, or to schedule an appointment with an experienced audiologist, contact Texas ENT & Allergy.
