It is important to learn good communication skills in conjunction with the use of your hearing aid. Even though hearing aids improve your hearing, they do not bring it back to normal. By combining use of a hearing aid with improvements in your communication skills, you can develop a more effective solution.
Hearing aids differ in design, size, the amount of amplification, ease of handling, volume control, and special features. However, all hearing aids come with a microphone to pick up sound and an amplifier/receiver to make that sound louder to deliver it to the ear.
It is not only the hearing impaired who depend upon lipreading (now called speech reading). Everybody uses it to improve comprehension, especially under noisy listening conditions. That's why you'll hear someone say, I'd better put my glasses on so I can hear you better.
If you are exposed to hazardously loud noise levels (those above 85 decibels) regularly, it is a good idea to have your ears tested annually. However, if you have healthy ears that are not exposed to loud noises regularly, you should get a hearing test every three years.
If you have a hearing aid, daily care can ensure it works properly for years. Keep the device away from heat or moisture, clean regularly and do not get hairspray on your hearing aid.
Did you know that it is important to avoid loud noises for 16 hours before undergoing a thorough hearing test? This helps ensure the test results are accurate and reflect your overall level of hearing.