Audiologist’s Q&A with a Hearing Aid User
Dr. Shopovick: Hi Everyone! I’m Dr. Shopovick. I’m an audiologist here at Now Hear This®, and this is Nathalie, our Patient Care Coordinator.
Nathalie: Hello, I am 28 years old, and I wear two hearing aids. I have conductive hearing loss, which is a lower pitch hearing loss and is a little different than age-related hearing loss. I’m here to share my experience about getting hearing aids and everything that comes before that.
Dr. Shopovick: So, we’ll dive right in! So, Nathalie, when did you first notice that you were having trouble hearing?
Nathalie: I’ve had this hearing loss for a long time, probably since I was a child. So, I honestly didn’t know I had hearing loss for a long time. It was really other people who said, ‘I don’t think you hear very well.’ So, that’s kind of what queued me in. I had a lot of ear infections as a kid, so I knew there might be something going on.
Dr. Shopovick: Yeah, that’s pretty common with what we see. It’s usually family members or friends that notice the person’s hearing loss first. So, that’s why it’s always a good idea to go see your audiologist to get a baseline hearing test. Just so you can check all the boxes, see if there’s anything wrong, and then later down the line, we always have a hearing test we can compare to in the future.
Nathalie: Yeah, so I would definitely recommend if you suspect there’s a hearing loss to go to an audiologist and get an audiogram done, and you’ll have it forever if you want to compare it.
Dr. Shopovick: How did the testing process go for you?
Nathalie: So, it was really easy. I was surprised! I hadn’t had one done in my memory. So, it was really easy. It was not invasive. The audiologist made me feel extremely comfortable. I was just surprised at how easy it was.
Dr. Shopovick: I’m glad you had a really good experience! Now, after the test, were you surprised by the results?
Nathalie: Yes, I did not realize I had so much hearing loss, and probably for a while. It’s amazing how you adapt, and you read lips and all of that. You don’t realize how much you’re missing, but I was really, really surprised, especially being 27 at the time. So, it was a bit of a shock.
Dr. Shopovick: I’m sure it was a surprise to know you needed hearing aids, too. Were you surprised by that?
Nathalie: Yes! I was kind of a borderline candidate because I had been doing so well, so hearing aids were an option. I wanted to try them, and I did, and it’s been interesting! It’s been really good! I was surprised. I was really hesitant at first.
Dr. Shopovick: Yeah, well, I’m glad you chose to at least give them a chance. What was it like the first time you tried hearing aids?
Nathalie: I would say that it was a little overwhelming and loud, and I think that’s what a lot of our patients say as well. Your brain is adjusting to all the new sound you are getting, and I would say that was happening for me. I would say that I adapted pretty quickly, though.
Dr. Shopovick: Well, that’s good that you adapted pretty quickly. It is normal for your brain to get adjusted to the hearing aid. It can take a couple of days to a few weeks. It’s always a little bit better; the earlier you get the hearing aids, it’s better for your brain. So, that’s all really good! Once you wore the hearing aids would you say that you were improving your communication with people?
Nathalie: At first- and I hear this from a lot of patients too- At first it was like sensory overload. So, at first it was almost a little harder to understand conversation. Once I got used to them- and I will mention that it is important to wear them a lot in the beginning. I wore them for 12 hours a day, every day, to get used to them, and I would say within a week I would say that I forgot I had hearing aids. I have literally had to make a sign- a laminated sign in my shower to tell me to take them off so I don’t shower with them! So, I’ve totally forgotten about them now.
Dr. Shopovick: That’s funny! I know a few of my patients have jumped in the pool or the ocean, too. They are really comfortable once you get a good fit. It happens! But is there anything else you noticed when you started wearing hearing aids that you would like to share?
Nathalie: I think two of the biggest things that aren’t talked about a lot is safety. And what I mean by that is- I don’t know that I heard modern cars approaching me well, especially the really quiet ones, like hybrids. So, even walking- being a pedestrian made me nervous. I would say that I have more awareness of what’s around me, and that’s been really comforting. I would also say that I have so much more energy at the end of the day because of not having to fill in the blanks conversationally, and listen really hard, and read lips, and try to understand. It’s not talked about a lot, but it really made me less tired at the end of the day.
Dr. Shopovick: That makes sense, so if you have hearing loss and don’t wear hearing aids, your brain is working a lot harder, like you said, to fill in those blanks. So, when you get adjusted to the hearing aids, it’s kind of like a relief for your brain, and your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to understand what the other person is saying. So, that’s really good. Was there anything you felt hesitant about hearing aids or getting hearing aids?
Nathalie: So, obviously, the first thing I’ll say is I was a little worried about how they would look, as a lot of people are. As you can see, I have a lot of hair, and it really sits nicely behind your ear. Even when I have my hair up, no one notices them. Sometimes, I’ll point them out to people, and they’ll be like, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t see them at all.” You can get them in different colors to match your hair too. So, I was a little concerned about how I would look with hearing aids. Now, I’m proud, and I wear them proudly. It didn’t take long. The other thing I would say is that cost is a consideration, and you want to enjoy- you want to really get a benefit from your hearing aids, so I would always look into the return policy, and it’s different in different states.
Dr. Shopovick: It is.
Nathalie: But here, it’s typically 60 days at least, and it’s important to know that as you make a decision, so if you want to try a different hearing aid or something like that, there are options.
Dr. Shopovick: There are! It never hurts to try them, especially when you have that 60-day window, because you don’t know how your life will be after them. A lot of people prefer wearing hearing aids once they get used to them than not. It becomes second nature. Also, the hearing aids come in many different colors, too. So, you can always match it to your hair. And then they have some fun colors too if you like pink, green, blue, which is also really fun. We will kind of end it off with if you had to change one thing about your hearing aid journey, is there anything that you would do differently?
Nathalie: I think I struggled for most of my life without them not even realizing it, and once I got them, I understood how much I’d been struggling, so my only regret, I guess, is not getting hearing aids sooner.
Dr. Shopovick: I always say, like I said earlier, in the beginning, it’s really important- the sooner the better, because it keeps your brain active. You want to keep your hearing nerves nice and active so you can live a nice, healthy, long life. So, yeah! Thanks for meeting with me, Nathalie, and sharing your hearing health journey.
Nathalie: Thank you for having me!
Dr. Shopovick: Thank you, everyone, for watching, and we hope you guys have a great rest of your day!
Nathalie: Thank you so much!