crucial hearing health questions Bring these questions to your next appointment with your audiologist, doctor or hearing care professional

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Cynthia Jenkins
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1 5 crucial hearing health questions Bring these questions to your next appointment with your audiologist, doctor or hearing care professional

2 Knowledge is power whether you currently wear hearing aids or only suspect your hearing isn t what it used to be. As with any medical intervention, there is no one-size-fits-all hearing care plan, and open dialogue with your doctor or hearing care professional (HCP) is crucial. But where to begin, and what questions will yield the most helpful conversations? These five questions are a good place to start. 1. Where am I now in terms of my hearing? 2. How can I prevent ongoing hearing loss? 3. What new technologies are available, and which might be a fit for me? 4. How long does it take to adjust to hearing aids, and is there a way to speed this up? 5. What s the best hearing health care plan for my lifestyle? 2

1 future Where am I now in terms of my hearing? The first thing to discuss with your doctor or hearing care professional (HCP) is how you can gauge your current hearing function.

3 1 future Where am I now in terms of my hearing? The first thing to discuss with your doctor or hearing care professional (HCP) is how you can gauge your current hearing function. Whether or not you ve been evaluated or even fitted for hearing aids in the past, it s a good idea to have your hearing evaluated annually. In fact, just like an eye exam, regular hearing tests are beneficial even for those who don t suspect substantial hearing loss and can help set a benchmark for exams. 3

4 1 Where am I now in terms of my hearing? Here s what you can expect during this type of assessment: 1. Consultation. This portion of the assessment involves a discussion about your hearing health history and lifestyle. This helps your audiologist or HCP get a clear picture of your hearing environment and your everyday life: What do you do for a living? Do you like to listen to music? Do you like to travel? 2. Hearing tests. A painless physical examination of your ears (an otoscopy) and comprehensive hearing tests will diagnose any issues and determine how well you hear across the noise spectrum. These test results should yield a clear picture of how your hearing stacks up (and possibly what sounds you ve been missing). 3. Recommendation and ongoing care. Depending on the severity of your hearing loss (or if your current hearing aids aren t up to par based on your needs) your doctor or HCP may recommend a new hearing aid trial, followed by ongoing adjustments/fittings/etc. 4

5 2 How can I prevent ongoing hearing loss? Your doctor or hearing care professional (HCP) can recommend ways to prevent further hearing loss including protecting your ears in noisy work environments and keeping the headphone volume at a reasonable level. What s more, certain health conditions, such as diabetes, can damage your hearing; so it s important to discuss your full health history and how it might relate to your ongoing hearing health. Beyond that, lessening the impact of hearing loss on your daily life can be as simple as staying on top of your checkups. The extent to which hearing can be improved through interventions depends very much on how severe the hearing loss is and how long it has lasted. In fact, studies show that people who realize they are losing their hearing generally wait seven to eight years until they take a step toward fixing the issue. This is problematic because research has shown that the brain unlearns certain sounds after about seven years. When sounds (some as subtle as leaves rustling) are made audible again with hearing aids, they are often perceived as being too loud or unpleasant. Because hearing loss is so gradual, it s hard to tell the level at which it has occurred without a professional hearing assessment. 5

6 3 What new technologies are available, and which might be a fit for me? New hearing aids are coming to market all the time, and chances are they have features that may appeal to you. From rechargeable to Bluetooth enabled, new technologies are making hearing aids more effective and easier to maintain. Your hearing care professional (HCP) can fill you in on the latest advancements, so be sure to ask at your next appointment. If you already wear hearing aids, how will you know if it s time for an upgrade or replacement? 6

7 3 What new technologies are available, and which might be a fit for me? Use the following discussion points to help start the conversation: Annual hearing assessment. It s a good idea to have your hearing evaluated annually and to have your hearing aids serviced and fine-tuned to adjust for any changes in your hearing. Occasionally, more severe changes in hearing are noted that may mean you d benefit from a different type of hearing aid. New insurance benefits. Insurance benefits for hearing aids typically renew every two to five years. Getting this help towards payment can be reason enough for trying the latest technology. Problems or frequent repairs. The difference between an out-of-warranty repair and new hearing aids can be fairly small, particularly when paired with insurance benefits. In these cases, the question comes down to how much you like your current aids. If switching feels like saying goodbye to a trusty old friend, it may make more sense to invest in a repair. Lifestyle change. Whether you ve retired and are ready to trade discreetness for power, need an aid that s easier to handle or maintain, or have a new need for all things waterproof after taking up swimming, a lifestyle change may signal that it s time for a hearing aid change as well. 7

8 4 How long does it take to adjust to new hearing aids, and is there a way to speed this up? Hearing aids can do wonders for your quality of life. But there is one thing you need to bear in mind: Hearing aids cannot replace natural hearing in all situations regardless of the brand, type or technology. Even the very latest and best hearing aids are still prostheses and have their limits, depending on the type and severity of hearing loss. To find the best device for you and the ideal settings, you may need to visit your doctor or hearing care professional (HCP) several times, and adjusting to the right hearing aid can take weeks or months. What s more, new hearing aid wearers are often surprised by the many forgotten sounds they suddenly experience. While most of these sounds such as birds chirping are welcome, hearing so much more all at once can be overwhelming. The good news is, this is absolutely normal during your first weeks (and even months) with hearing aids, and will lessen as your brain learns to interpret and filter sounds correctly. 8

9 4 How long does it take to adjust to new hearing aids, and is there a way to speed this up? The length of time that it can take a person to adjust to new hearing aids is dependent on several factors, so it s important to talk to your HCP about what you can expect in your unique situation. Your HCP can also recommend some tips to help facilitate the adjustment, some of which may include: Commit to wearing your hearing aids every day no matter what. Start by wearing your hearing aid a few hours each day. As you get used to hearing with hearing aids, gradually increase the amount of time until you can wear them from wake to sleep. Practice wearing your hearing aids in a quiet home environment for the first few days. Start by identifying unfamiliar sounds and try focusing your attention on the sounds you most want to hear. 9

10 4 How long does it take to adjust to new hearing aids, and is there a way to speed this up? As you acclimate, slowly try new listening situations, such as visiting friends. Avoid wearing your hearing aids in especially loud situations like restaurants or city traffic until you feel comfortable with your devices. Try not to turn the volume farther and farther down when you face discomfort. Doing so can keep you from fully adjusting to your hearing aids. Beware of auditory fatigue. Allow the transition to happen at its own pace by accepting a small amount of progress each day and giving yourself breaks when needed. 10

11 5 What s the best hearing health care plan for my lifestyle? Hearing assessments will help your audiologist or hearing care professional (HCP) determine your unique hearing needs and challenges based on your lifestyle. That s why it s important to have a comprehensive discussion about all situations in which you face hearing challenges, or would like to hear better, and which most affect your daily life. For example: Is hearing clearly at work a primary concern (meetings with multiple people, for example) or are your concerns centered more around social situations (family gatherings)? Are you often in situations with lots of competing sounds/background noise (busy restaurants) or are you more of a homebody (watching TV or talking on the phone)? Before your appointment, it may be helpful to keep a diary of problem sounds to discuss with your doctor or HCP. If you currently wear hearing aids, this discussion can help with troubleshooting, adjustment or making the decision to upgrade your devices; if you are still in the hearing assessment phase, this is valuable information to help your doctor or HCP diagnose issues and recommend a care plan. 11

12 Talk to your Connect Hearing care professional today. Start the conversation and get the most from your hearing health today. You can find your local center here. 12

13 About Connect Hearing Connect Hearing brings together the best hearing professionals with the most advanced hearing technology. Our 300 centers nationwide provide free hearing evaluations and custom care recommendations. Our Hearing Care Professionals are passionate about helping people to hear better, applying a consistent process to determine the best recommendations for your hearing health. We provide free next day evaluations with professional recommendations based upon your individual hearing needs and lifestyle. We offer a walk-in, walk-out 2-week FREE trial with hearing aids that are right for you plus the Connect Advantage, your assurance that Connect Hearing will be there every step of the way. Headquartered in the Chicago area, we are a fast growing division of Sonova (SOON:US), the world s leading provider of innovative hearing healthcare solutions. 13

Your hearing healthcare guide. To help you make the right choices about your hearing. A Sonova brand

Your hearing healthcare guide. To help you make the right choices about your hearing. A Sonova brand Your hearing healthcare guide To help you make the right choices about your hearing A Sonova brand Towards better hearing Did you know that most people who suspect they have hearing loss take many years