How to Deal With Hearing Aid Problems in Noisy Environments

Are your hearing aids effective in noisy situations – like when dining in a crowded restaurant?

It’s incredibly frustrating.

Hearing aids are supposed to enhance your quality of life by helping you pick up, parse, and process auditory information. But unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. In fact, one of the most common complaints we receive from new patients is that their hearing aids provide little assistance – especially in noisy or ambient environments.

There’s simply not enough “audibility” – and way too many “huhs?"

In situations like these, you’re often better off removing your hearing aids. And that defeats the whole purpose of wearing hearing aids in the first place.

But why does this happen? And is it possible to fix?‍

Why Hearing Aids Don’t Always Work‍

It’s easy to blame the underlying technology. Many hearing aid wearers assume that their hearing aids are just faulty or low-quality.

And sometimes, this is true.

But sound amplification isn’t usually the problem. Modern hearing aids are electronic and can be digitally customized for the wearer. And the root cause of typically comes down to improper testing and fitting.

Prior to choosing hearing aids, many audiologists run diagnostic tests in quiet, controlled conditions. But this approach can create an inaccurate or incomplete profile for that patient.

The same is true when those hearing aids are ultimately fitted. If the testing is also done in laboratory conditions, it’s not possible to properly calibrate the hearing aids for optimal results.

How to Fix This Hearing Aid Problem

At The Hearing Solution, our approach is very simple. We conduct all of our auditory evaluations in noisy conditions that simulate real-world environments.

This applies both to our:

• Diagnostic screening – when we assess the severity and cause of your hearing loss.
  

• Fitting and customization – after we’ve helped you select potential hearing aids.
  

In addition, we have you install and remove your hearing aids to help us better gauge their effectiveness. And we also have you “test drive” your hearing aids in the real world for up to a week.

Note that this isn’t just for new patients either.

We also recalibrate devices for current patients – using the same multi-step process. This is because the brain is ultimately responsible for sound processing. And even a mild hearing loss can rewire some of your brain’s auditory capabilities – both for better or for worse.

In effect, your hearing is constantly changing.

However, it’s possible to improve your brain’s sound processing with auditory training. This is why we encourage our patients to use clEAR – an interactive game that helps to boost your sound processing abilities in noisy environments. clEAR has also been shown to help with auditory recall and focus.

We’re hosting an upcoming workshop on the clEAR training program. It’ll take place at our Sacramento office – 1:30 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

If you’d like to learn more, please email us or call: (916)-646-2471.

Want More Audibility (and Fewer “Huhs”)?

At The Hearing Solution, our goal is to ensure you can clearly distinguish speech – whether you’re in:

• Quiet, intimate settings.
  

• Loud, busy restaurants.
  

With hearing aids that have been properly tested and fitted for your needs, you should never be sidelined during conversations in any environment.

To learn more about our real-world testing in noise – or to participate in our clEAR workshop – contact us today.