Equipping your ears with a hearing aids brings a real benefit. But it still is necessary to choose it and take its time to adopt it. Here are 3 key steps to success.
From eyes glasses, an aid for the hearing, nothing more classic in the background. “From the age of 50, everyone can be affected by presbycusis: after 60 years, nearly one in three people hear less,” says Dr. Didier Bouccara, ENT.
To slow down the loss of hearing and avoid that it favors a withdrawal, but also memory disorders or intellectual alertness, the wearing of hearing aid amplifiers is essential. Provided he succeeds in his equipment.
1) Select your hearing care professional
Once the diagnosis of presbycusis is made and the hearing aid prescription written, the ORL hands over to the hearing care professional. It’s up to him to orient his patient to the model best adapted to his degree of deafness, to the morphology of his ear canal and to his lifestyle … “Whether it has been recommended by your ENT or by relatives, A good audiologist is the one who will take the time to carry out additional examinations and to ask you about your needs.He will introduce you to the different types of hearing aids (earloop hearing aids, in ear hearing aids, extra-auricular hearing aids), l ers advantages and their limits, without forcing the sale, ” says Luis Godinho, President of the National Union of Hearing Aid Professionals (Unsaf).
The smallest, the most expensive or the most technologically advanced is not necessarily the best for you. Luis Godinho adds: “If, after the first appointment, which usually lasts an hour, the current has not passed, do not hesitate to push another door.” For optimal follow-up, you will need to visit this specialist at least twice a year. It is important to feel confident. A serious hearing care professional will give you a quote and offer a free trial for at least a fortnight, usually against a deposit check.
2) Adapt to the device: patience and perseverance
Buying a hearing aid is a real financial effort, so it’s natural to expect fast results. But if these devices have made much progress in recent years, you should know that their effects are never immediate. “Count between three and six months to get the best results, the time the ear and brain adapt, and make different adjustments to adjust the device to your specific needs,” says Dr. Didier Bouccara.
Moreover, even if these technology jewels improve the quality of life, they will not make the hearing from before. Knowledge before equipping can avoid disappointments. Another precaution to pro ter at best: they should be worn as regularly as possible, including only at home, and in a maximum of sound environments. The more the auditory system is stimulated, the better it reacts.
3) Take care to optimize its life
Under normal conditions of use, a hearing aid operates on average five and a half years. A visit every six months to the audiologist allows both to fine-tune the settings and have it maintain to gain reliability.
You move? No problem: the profession has signed a charter committing audioprosthetists to follow up on a contract that has started with a colleague. At home, the key is to always store your dentures in their box, protected from moisture, and to clean them daily with a soft cloth.
