Does Using A Hearing Aid Weaken Your Real Hearing?

When shopping for hearing aids, one of the primary concerns that many people have is that they will experience a further decline in their hearing if they begin using hearing aids. Hearing aids have been linked to a potential risk of hearing loss. You might hear accounts of people who use hearing aids and, after a few weeks of doing so, find that they have a more difficult time hearing without them than they did before they started using them.

This phenomenon has been documented in some users of hearing aids. On the other hand, the truth is that it is merely a matter of perception and that their brains are playing a trick on them.

Why is it that After Trying Hearing Aids, My Hearing Seems to Have Gotten Worse?

You likely experienced a gradual progression of hearing loss before you started using hearing aids. Your brain has become accustomed to hearing fewer sounds and having to work harder to understand the conversation, and as a result, it now considers this level of hearing to be normal.

Hearing aids, on the other hand, allow your brain to access information that it hasn’t had access to for a considerable amount of time, and it then readjusts its perceptions to account for this new normal. As a consequence of this, trying to hear without the assistance of hearing aids may give the impression that it is more difficult than it was in the past because your hearing loss is now more apparent.

Your brain is just adjusting to your new normal and thinking that the new hearing aids are making your hearing loss worse when in reality, your brain is just adjusting to the new normal.

What Will Be the New Normal? What Is an Example?

Think about the way your body registers the temperature. After spending the day at the beach in temperatures of 90 degrees, going inside to a room that is only 70 degrees feels brisk because your body has become acclimated to the idea that temperatures of 90 degrees are the norm.

Your brain and body have adapted to the low temperatures, and now consider them normal. Your perceptions of the temperature have shifted, but the temperature in the room in question has remained the same.

Similarly, when you start using hearing aids, your brain will learn how to process the new information it is receiving. When you remove your hearing aids, the severity of your hearing loss is exposed for all to see. Your hearing might seem muffled and reduced when you don’t have your devices, but in reality, it was already this way. You just notice it more now because you’ve been able to hear better with the hearing aids. This is the urban legend that wearing hearing aids will cause permanent hearing loss.

So, Do Hearing Aids Make My Hearing Worst?

The answer to the question will my hearing aids cause hearing loss is typically the majority of cases. However, if the hearing aid is not programmed properly, it can cause additional damage to your hearing. Because prolonged exposure to loud noises can cause hearing loss, it is essential to ensure that your hearing aids are programmed correctly. It is possible for the programming of your hearing aids to cause additional hearing damage if they are set to produce noises that are significantly louder than what is necessary for you. Hearing aids, on the other hand, should not cause damage to your hearing if they are programmed appropriately, fit properly, and filter sounds adequate.

So, Can Hearing Aids Stop or Reduce Hearing Loss?

Hearing aids can assist in preventing further deterioration of your hearing ability. Stimulation is necessary for the maintenance of healthy nerves. Some of the nerve cells in your auditory system are not being used properly when you have hearing loss or tinnitus, leading to their degeneration. In addition, for your brain to be able to hear sounds, it must exert a greater amount of effort because the nerves in question are either damaged or weak. Additional hearing loss is the result of the two factors working together.

How Do Hearing Aids Benefits My Mental Health?

Your ability to comprehend sound, as well as your quality of life, can remain at its highest level possible despite the hearing loss your currently experiencing, if you consistently use your hearing aids. If you want to learn more about this, a hearing health professional can help. Get in touch with Hearing Solutions Inc. at (701) 566-7280