Can hearing aids cause harm? Do I need to wear a hearing aid all the time? How to properly put on and wear hearing aids? Which ear should you wear your hearing aid on?
Budanov Evgeniy Gennadievich: Candidate of Medical Sciences, audiologist, otorhinolaryngologist (ENT)
Once again I am communicating with the relatives of an elderly visitor who has difficulty hearing in both ears. According to his relatives, he had to be forcibly dragged to the audiologist’s office and to get hearing aids. I find out that the main difficulty was to convince the elderly patient of the very need to have his hearing checked. As always, his arguments against are words about the poor diction of those around him, the wrong announcers on TV and the poor quality of modern phones. In addition, it turns out that this patient’s hidden virtues prompted him with “practical advice” to avoid such doctors, and under no circumstances try on, much less wear, hearing aids. Otherwise your hearing will completely deteriorate! ABOUT?!
Everything would be fine, but the main participants in the group of third-party advisers were local doctors, and not just just, but otolaryngologists and even one respectable therapist. Their main thesis was that a hearing aid is like a drug. Once you put it on, you can’t go anywhere without it, because “they get used to it, they become even more deaf, and that’s all - good for nothing!” It would be so funny if I weren’t very sad for my fellow doctors.
From my own experience, I have already become convinced that in 90% or more cases these anti-Soviets (from the word “advice”, the Soviet government has nothing to do with it) have neither seen nor heard of these devices. Their words, with which they scare away their elderly and even (which is generally bad) young patients from a completely civilized hearing aid procedure, sound like they are from the world of myths and legends. The fact is that all the arguments against hearing aids come from an era when these devices were large or even very large, and were analog; and such concepts as individual selection, programmable hearing aids, AGC, input and output compression, objective verification of the gain introduced by the device have not yet even been invented or technically implemented. In the last 10-20 years, the technologies that formed the basis of hearing aids have made such a significant step forward that fears about the possible harm of their use should be almost all refuted. Let me make a reservation right away that this statement is true for the generation of digital programmable hearing aids. In simple words, digital sound processing is designed to process the incoming sound signal in the widest range of characteristics: frequency spectrum, sound intensity (loudness), etc., which allows you to create a model of “sound behavior” of a hearing aid that will be strictly individual, fit the residual hearing as accurately as possible, giving a feeling of comfort, even with daily long-term wearing. Programmability is the very process of transferring information about a person’s hearing into complex sound processing algorithms that are embedded in the microprocessor of a hearing aid, its individual adjustment and verification of the result. As a result, we have an absolutely individual tool for compensating for hearing loss, whose parameters will not allow the device to sound excessively loud (fear of losing hearing). And the opinion about the irreparable habit of wearing a hearing aid comes from the well-known saying “you get used to good things quickly.” Having worn a high-quality, tuned, repeatedly verified device, a child, adult or elderly person no longer wants to plunge headlong into the world of muffled sounds, slurred speech and isolation from others. A child who, already at 2-3 years old, stretches himself in the morning and even turns on and puts on his devices independently is the best confirmation of this :)
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Vladimir asks:
My mother has very poor hearing in one ear, but better in the other. Some doctors advise choosing a hearing aid for the ear that hears worse, and others for the ear that hears better. In the second case, the mother is afraid of completely losing the opportunity to live without a hearing aid, at least within the family circle. For which ear is it preferable to choose a hearing aid? Best regards, thanks for your answer.
The best solution for bilateral hearing loss is prosthetics with two hearing aids (biural prosthetics), which will bring sound perception as close as possible to normal, improve the quality of life, spatial orientation, and increase the safety of movement.
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MISCONCEPTION - 1
There is an opinion that hearing aids are harmful to human hearing and health.
Yes, this is true only in cases where the hearing aid is very simple, not registered with the Ministry of Health, purchased without a hearing test (audiometry) and adjustment, and also if there are contraindications.
A healthy ear perceives speech sound in the frequency range from 250 to 4000 hertz, while sound or speech with a strength of, for example, 60 decebels is perceived by a healthy ear of equal strength at all frequencies. When a person loses his hearing, then his hearing loss at individual frequencies is different, and if you use a simple hearing aid or sound amplifier, then at low frequencies the sound strength will be too high, which is very harmful, and at high frequencies it will be too low, which is also harmful, so how a person loses the intelligibility of audible speech.
According to the World Health Organization, only a correctly selected and adjusted hearing aid does not harm a person’s hearing, but rather develops it and has a positive effect on the nervous system and human psyche.
MISCONCEPTION - 2
Many people believe that with a hearing aid a person will hear as well as with a healthy ear from the very first minutes. WRONG! It takes time for the hearing organ to adapt to the hearing aid. For some, this requires a few days, for others, several months, and for some, individual lessons with a teacher of the deaf may be required.
MISCONCEPTION - 3
Some people believe that hearing aids should only be worn in the worse ear. WRONG!
It is no coincidence that man is given by nature two eyes, two hands, two hemispheres of the brain and two ears.
If a hearing aid is worn only on the worse ear, then the other healthier ear will begin to fade away, while the brain “forgets” how this or that word sounds.
If a patient is prescribed hearing aids for both ears, then it would be more appropriate to buy them for both ears at once. If you are unable to afford it, it is advisable to start wearing one hearing aid in your better ear.
MISCONCEPTION - 4
There is an opinion that a hearing aid can only be worn occasionally, otherwise the ear will not strain and thus the hearing will deteriorate. WRONG! A child who does not wear or wears little hearing aids lags behind his peers in development. A person with healthy hearing and speech, whose hearing began (for some reason) to gradually decline, loses the intelligibility of audible speech, which also inhibits personality development and negatively affects the nervous system
MISCONCEPTION - 5
Many people are in no hurry to purchase a hearing aid, hoping that their hearing will not deteriorate further. WRONG! With age, a person develops diseases that directly affect hearing loss, such as osteochondrosis, vascular diseases, etc. The mobility and sensitivity of the auditory organ is gradually lost.
Many patients who have worn a hearing aid in only one ear for many years are no longer able to use it in the other. It takes a lot of time and patience, and often surgical intervention, to improve the functioning of the auditory organ.
MISCONCEPTION - 6
Some people think that it is better for older people to buy simpler hearing aids, since they hardly leave the house anymore, or not to buy them at all, since it is difficult for them to learn how to use a hearing aid WRONG! In addition to hearing loss, older people, as a rule, have a number of chronic diseases, primarily of a neurovascular nature, which impair the comfort of perception of loud sounds and speech, and in an advanced form lead to painful sensations and a decrease in the intelligibility of audible speech. Therefore, it is better to purchase a better quality hearing aid. Anyone who is still able to eat on their own can learn to use a hearing aid. Perseverance and patience will be rewarded with improvements in speech intelligibility, overall health, nervous system and mental state.
MISCONCEPTION - 7
There is an opinion that expensive hearing aids should not break. This is only partially true. If you place a hearing aid (such as a TV) in a warm room and do not expose it to cold, high temperature, moisture, dampness, dust, mechanical movements and only turn it on and off, then the hearing aid will last a very long time. In fact, a hearing aid is used by many people in extreme conditions (heat, cold, damp, dust, etc.), while for many it falls, and is used in conditions of increased vibration. If you treat your hearing aid uncontrollably, carelessly, allow it to fall, do not take it in for cleaning and maintenance, do not use means for drying it, and also do little personal hygiene, then any technology, even the most reliable, on which sometimes even a person’s life depends ( for example an airplane), breaks down
MISCONCEPTION - 8
Some people do not want to purchase a hearing aid because it is visible behind the ear and people around them pay attention to it. THIS IS A MISCONCEPTION. People around them pay much more attention to people who constantly ask questions, who need to shout. This is what irritates others. It is inconvenient and ugly to be deaf and not hear the speech of the interlocutor.
MISCONCEPTION - 9
Some people who already wear a hearing aid mistakenly believe that if it makes a whistle, it means it is broken. The fact is that the hearing aid must be tightly attached to the ear canal using an earmold. To achieve a tight fit of the earmold to the ear canal, it is necessary to make an individual earmold, which is made from an impression of the ear canal from anti-allergenic materials, is durable, does not distort sound, does not press, does not rub the skin of the ear canal, provides ventilation to the ear and equalizes the pressure at the eardrum.
MISCONCEPTION - 10
Some people believe that hearing aids can be returned after use. Not true. According to the Law of Ukraine “On the protection of the rights of companions,” a hearing aid of proper quality cannot be exchanged or returned. After a short period of use, a hearing aid contains on its surface many microorganisms and pathogenic bacteria, which are very easily transmitted by contact from person to person and can cause severe skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema, otomycosis, etc.)
In order to successfully compensate for hearing loss, it is very important to choose the right hearing aid and adjust it according to the individual needs of the user. This is the task of a specialist. But the result of using a hearing aid largely depends on the user himself. Amazingly, according to researchers, 90% of users do not know how to properly use or care for their hearing aids. Even many who have been wearing the device for many years do not know how to use most of its functions. Here we will try to give the most important tips for proper use and care of your hearing aid. We hope that the information received will help you make the use of your hearing aid as effective as possible.
What does a hearing aid consist of? The main components of a behind-the-ear hearing aid are a microphone, an amplifier, a telephone (speaker) and an earmold.
The function of a microphone is to pick up sound and convert it into electrical impulses. The amplifier's job is to amplify the received electrical signals to the desired level. The telephone serves to turn electrical signals back into audible sounds. In the standard model of a behind-the-ear hearing aid, all three elements are located directly in the body of the device. In models with an external telephone, the hearing aid telephone is placed separately - it is connected to the body by a flexible tube and inserted inside the ear canal.
An earmold is needed to conduct sounds into the ear, to the eardrum, and also to more securely fix the hearing aid on the ear. The earmold is connected to the body of the device by a flexible tube called a sound guide.
Batteries are used to power the hearing aid. If you notice that the volume and quality of sound transmitted by the device has sharply decreased, or if the device turns off spontaneously, the battery should be replaced. To do this, grab the battery compartment cover with your fingernail and pull lightly. Usually the lid opens without much effort. Remove the old battery and insert the new one, strictly observing the polarity. If the battery is installed correctly, the compartment cover should close tightly and effortlessly. If you feel resistance when closing the battery compartment, do not press on the cover, but open it and check that the battery is positioned correctly.
There are several controls on the body of the hearing aid. One of them is the volume control, designed to change the volume level of the sound.
The O-T-M switch allows you to select one of two operating modes - microphone mode (M) or telecoil mode (T), position O is used to turn off the device. Microphone mode is used for listening to ambient sounds, and coil mode is used when talking on the phone or in areas equipped with induction systems. If you are using telecoil mode to talk on the phone, it is recommended that you bring the handset as close to the unit as possible and move it until you reach the position where the sound is most intelligible.
Some models use the battery cover to turn the device on and off. The device turns on when the lid is closed and turns off when it is opened.
How to put on a hearing aid correctly? To put on a behind-the-ear hearing aid, you first insert an earmold into your ear, and only then place the hearing aid behind your ear. The right earbud is inserted with the right hand, and the left earbud is inserted with the left hand. If you are using an open prosthetic device, then you need to put on the hearing aid in the reverse order - first place the body of the device behind your ear, and then insert the earmold into the ear canal. Install the earmold into the ear very carefully so as not to damage the earmold itself or the flexible sound guide connecting it to the hearing aid. If you use a device with an external telephone, be very careful not to damage the connection between the telephone and the device body and the telephone itself, located in the ear canal. Before inserting or removing an earmold into your ear canal, turn off your hearing aid or turn down the volume.
To properly insert the earmold into your ear canal, grasp the underside of the earmold with your thumb and forefinger, as close to the sound duct as possible.
The top of the earmold should face up and the canal portion of the earmold should face toward the ear canal. Holding the helix portion of the earmold, begin inserting it into the ear canal. If you feel resistance, use your free hand to gently pull your earlobe down or slightly pull your ear back and up. Then, lightly press the ear tip with your index finger and insert it into your ear. In this case, the upward-directed helical part of the insert should fall under the edge of the skin fold of the auricle. To ensure that the helix is positioned correctly, guide it with your index finger while simultaneously pulling the auricle up and back with your other hand. After you have inserted the earmold, carefully place the hearing aid behind your ear, being careful not to twist or damage the sound guide (the flexible tube that connects the earmold to the body of the hearing aid).
Remove the hearing aid with the earmold in the reverse order - first remove the hearing aid from behind the ear, and then remove the earmold. The helical part of the earmold must be released from the folds of the auricle with your index finger. Then you should carefully pull the helix forward and remove the earmold, turning it slightly back.
In order for your hearing aid to work properly and serve you as long as possible, you need to follow the rules for its use. First of all, it is necessary to remember that even the most durable and reliable hearing aid requires careful handling. If the device or any of its components is damaged, the quality of sound transmission will deteriorate significantly or the device may even fail. Do not forget that hearing aids damaged as a result of improper use are not subject to warranty service or repair.
To ensure proper operation of your hearing aid, you must ensure that it is clean and undamaged. The body of the device must be wiped regularly. It is recommended to do this with a dry soft cloth and under no circumstances with water or cleaning agents. Try to protect your hearing aids from moisture, other liquids and chemicals. Do not forget to remove the device before taking a bath, shower, or going into places with high humidity - sauna, bathhouse, greenhouse, etc. If the device is exposed to moisture (for example, you were caught in the rain), under no circumstances use high heat to dry it. Do not attempt to dry the hearing aid or its parts with a hair dryer, oven or microwave. To remove any remaining moisture from your hearing aid, remove the battery and then use the hearing aid cleaning kit.
Always remove your hearing aids before applying hair products or cosmetics, or before using a hair dryer. It is also necessary to remove the hearing aid before undergoing physiotherapeutic procedures and before such types of medical examinations as x-rays, tomography, fluorography, etc.
Carefully protect the hearing aid from any mechanical shock or pressure. To avoid damage, store it only in the case specifically designed for this purpose. When cleaning the unit, try to choose a room with carpeting or other soft flooring to avoid damage if the unit is accidentally dropped.
Only use batteries of the type that is suitable for your . Using batteries of the wrong type may damage the device. If you do not use the device for a long time, it is recommended to remove the batteries - this will help extend their service life. Keep your hearing aid and batteries out of the reach of children and pets. It is also recommended to keep batteries separate from medications, as batteries of the type used in hearing aids can easily be confused with tablets.
This question is of interest to people suffering from hearing loss and looking for ways to restore it. Because in many cases, hearing loss can be corrected in only one way - with the help of hearing aids.
Of course, AS cannot in any way lead to an even greater deterioration in the ability to hear. What's more, wearing this device can often help preserve your remaining hearing!
is not just buying and wearing a special technical device. Everything is much deeper and more serious. This concept refers to a whole range of measures aimed at overcoming hearing loss. And in this complex, choosing a hearing aid is far from the only goal. It is equally important to fine-tune the device in accordance with individual needs and requests, and then teach the patient how to properly care for it and how to use it. After all, not only the psychological and physical comfort of its owner, but also his health depends on the successful adjustment of the device to improve hearing. If the setup is done incorrectly, problems are guaranteed. But if the SA is configured at a professional level, audibility will not only stabilize, but also become sharper.
But then why are so many people unsure that hearing aids are safe?
Misleading Perception
It often happens that a few weeks after the hearing aid procedure, a patient turns to an audiologist with complaints that his hearing has allegedly become even worse than it was before. But in reality it only seems so. That the ability to perceive sounds has improved can be proven using hearing tests. Let's figure out why perception deception occurs.
Let's start with the fact that most people suffering from hearing loss consult a doctor only 7-10 years after the onset of this problem. Of course, all this time their audibility is slowly but steadily deteriorating, and the brain is forced to adapt and get used to receiving weakened auditory signals. And when a person puts on the SU for the first time, out of habit, normal sounds seem too loud and sharp to him. And all because the brain needs time to adjust from quiet sounds to normal ones. When enough time has passed for adaptation, the brain will tune in to the new sound mode, and the patient will find it difficult to imagine how he could previously manage without this device.
Correct fitting of your hearing aid is very important
Before selecting and configuring a hearing aid, you must first visit a specialist who will take an audiogram - it will help determine what your hearing threshold is at different sound frequencies. Only after analyzing the existing deviations will the audiologist be able to individually configure the device for the patient. That is, as a result of correct tuning, sounds are amplified only at those frequencies that are poorly perceived by the ear. Sounds that are clearly audible without it are not amplified and remain at the same level, since their amplification can provoke worsening hearing problems. And you need to keep in mind that such fine and precise tuning can only be done by a qualified and experienced specialist. Such audiologists who can provide you with quality services work in our Betterton center.
