Does Using A Hearing Aid Weaken Your Real Hearing?

senior hearing loss patient smiling as she is fitted with a brand new hearing aid

Hearing aids are the number one solution in the world for when you have hearing loss that is affecting your life. If you have been recommended to use hearing aids, or you think there is a chance you might be in the near future, you will probably want to know as much about it as possible first because there are many questions and concerns you might have, and that is perfectly natural to do so.

One of the most common queries that audiologists hear relates to how hearing aids affect a person’s natural hearing, if at all. For instance, you might be concerned about using a hearing aid weakening your real hearing. In this post, we are going to take a look at this question in detail so that you can know whether it’s something you need to be concerned about or not.

Do Hearing Aids Weaken Your Actual Hearing?

The short answer is: no. Definitely not. Using a hearing aid does not weaken your natural hearing at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. If you use a hearing aid, you are going to find that your hearing increases, and your normal hearing won’t be affected when you take the hearing aid off. So, if you have been concerned that your natural hearing might be affected by the use of a hearing aid, you can put that fear to bed once and for all.

This is because a hearing aid is always specifically programmed for your own personal hearing needs. That means that you are not going to be causing any damage or harm to your ears or your hearing as a result of using them. If anything, there is evidence that using hearing aids when you need to has been linked to increasing your ability to hear normally, as it helps to keep your hearing sense sharper in general.

So, the question is: why does this issue arise so often, and why is it one of the most common questions that audiologists tend to hear?

Adjusting to Hearing Aids

A lot of people do feel as though their normal hearing is worse after they have started using hearing aids. Because when you take the hearing aids off, your hearing might seem worse. However, that is only a trick of perception, albeit a very common and understandable one. When you have been wearing a hearing aid for a few weeks, it can seem as though your hearing gets worse when you have them off. This is because, in those first few weeks, your brain is still getting used to the experience, which is why some people report a slightly jarring feeling with their hearing aids on at first.

This is actually the feeling of your brain trying to hear properly through your hearing aids, and it’s something that goes away after a while. But once that happens, and you can now hear properly with your hearing aids, you will feel as though your hearing has got worse without them. However, it really is just a trick of your perception, not that your hearing has actually worsened.

Getting a Good Fitting

One of the main things you need to make sure of when you are getting a hearing aid fitted is that it is fit properly and made precisely for your ears and your amplification level. This is why you go to a professional and experienced audiologist because they are able to make sure that your hearing aid is fitting properly and effectively. That way, it will make it more comfortable and minimize the time it takes for the brain to get used to the new sound. It will also eliminate the possibility of any damage being caused to your ears or your hearing in the long run.

So, if you are concerned at all about anything to do with hearing aids, don’t worry: all you have to do is make sure that you go to an audiologist you can trust, who will fit the hearing aids for you properly right away. That is going to help you have much greater peace of mind about your hearing aid.

If you are looking to find an audiologist, you should schedule an appointment with a professional who understands your individuals needs and requirements. That’s why it’s worth getting in touch with Professional Hearing Solutions at your earliest convenience. You can contact them at this phone number: (386) 478-7345 to find out more.