It all works so easily in theory. You simply plug in your newly purchased hearing aids and your capacity for hearing is instantly restored to perfection. Unfortunately, it is not quite that easy. However, there is still plenty of hope for the roughly 28.8 million Americans who could benefit from seeing a hearing aid specialist about getting hearing aids for themselves. We just have to be realistic about how this product works and what kind of results one can reasonably expect to obtain from hearing aids.
The Understandable Desire for Fast Results
Let’s start by recognizing the fact that the desire to obtain immediate results from one’s hearing aids is an understandable inclination. We live in a society with a foundation of instant gratification, and our expectations about what is possible rise every day. It is also that hearing loss can be incredibly frustrating and have an impact on one’s day-to-day life and even on one’s relationships.
This is why it is so important to see an audiologist at the earliest signs of hearing loss. Some of those signs include:
- Misunderstanding and Confusion – You’ve all seen the blank stare of someone who isn’t quite comprehending the things that you are trying to tell them. They may be missing large chunks of what you are trying to tell them due to hearing loss.
- Constant Requests to Repeat What You Are Saying – Everyone has to ask for certain words to be repeated from time to time. This is a natural part of the human experience. However, constant requests for a speaker to repeat his or her words could be a sign to visit a hearing aid specialist.
- Avoids Noisy Places – Not everyone is comfortable in noisy places, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if someone is intentionally steering clear of these places all the time, it might be because they have trouble hearing when they are in those spaces.
These are just some of the early warning signs of hearing loss. They are worth addressing as soon as possible because solutions are available. Again, hearing aid solutions might not have instant results for the user, but their positive impact on one’s life can still be enormous.
Why It May Take Some Time for Hearing Aids to Work
There are important reasons why there may be a lag between when you first receive your hearing aids and when you begin to notice results from them. One of the reasons why this is the case has to do with how your brain takes in auditory information. It is an intricate process that must play out in a particular way to work. Let’s take a look at how that process takes shape:
1) Sound Vibrations are Picked Up by Your Eardrum
Sound moves through air via vibrations, and those vibrations are first detected by your eardrum. This is a delicate and essential part of your ear, and a damaged eardrum can cause hearing loss issues.
2) The Eardrum Begins to Vibrate
After vibrations are picked up by the eardrum, it begins to vibrate and cause the bones within the middle part of your ear to vibrate as well. Those vibrations are then transferred from your middle ear to your inner ear. Fluid within your inner ear starts to move and transfer a signal to nerve cells.
3) Nerve Cells Transfer Sound to the Brain
Once the nerve cells have picked up the message that was relayed by the fluid within your inner ear, they will transmit that message directly to your brain. Your brain then automatically converts those messages into the sounds that you ultimately hear.
Needless to say, this is a complex process that all takes place within a fraction of a second. However, when one suffers from hearing loss, there are likely some snags or complications at some point in this journey. As such, it is expected that it will take some time before a hearing aid can do the work that it is designed to do. There is simply a lot that must be accomplished and it will take some time to adjust.
How Long Does It Take Hearing Aids to Become Effective?
This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Everyone wants to know how long they will have to wait before their hearing aids produce the results that they want from them.
The FDA notes that there is likely to be at least some time between when one first obtains their hearing aids and when they start to see (or in this case “hear”) real results from them. For many people, that adjustment period can be somewhere between 3-6 months.
The precise length of time that it takes to have the type of results you expect from hearing aids will vary from person to person. There are certain things that you can do to improve the likelihood that your waiting period will be shorter. Consider the following approaches:
- Set Realistic Expectations – The first thing that you must do for yourself is set realistic expectations about how long it is likely to take before your hearing aids produce the results that you want. When you keep your expectations in check, you can continue to work on getting better each day with less frustration.
- Practice with Your Hearing Aids – Wear your hearing aids in a variety of different environments and locations to practice hearing different types of noise and noise levels. This will provide you with the opportunity to experience the world with your hearing aids in and adjust your levels as necessary for different situations. Additionally, you should also work on adjusting the settings of your hearing aids to get them tuned just how you like them. Modern hearing aids provide a multitude of settings, and it is imperative that you work with them until you find precisely the combination that works best for you.
- Practice Patience – Be kind to yourself and understand that using hearing aids is a journey. You have already made a big step in the right direction by recognizing that you need hearing aids. Now, you need to be patient with yourself as you work on figuring out what the next steps in your journey will look like.
Are you concerned that you might be suffering from hearing loss? If so, then you should know that Chang Eye Group now offers expert hearing aid assistance with our staff Audiologist. You can schedule an appointment with us to have your hearing checked and get fitted for a hearing aid if necessary. It can be the first step toward a new life with improved hearing results. Reach out today and contact us to learn more about hearing aids and how you might benefit from them.