Introduction
Hearing aids are a medical device that individuals use to improve their hearing. Some of these devices come with the potential for risk, such as causing hearing loss. Most hearing aid users don’t experience any problems; however, some people do report symptoms like tinnitus, buzzing in the ears and an increased sensitivity to sounds. The most common cause for concern is if you have a prior history of sound-induced hearing damage and you’re using a certain brand or model of device. This is why it’s important that before you start using your new aid, have your question answered by an expert in audiology who will give you personalized recommendations specific to your needs and lifestyle.
Imagine a world where you could hear all of the sounds around without needing to worry about how loud they are or if they will damage your ears. Such a world doesn’t exist, but many hearing aids do help people hear over noisy environments and/or amplify faint sounds. So are the devices that help us to be able to hear safe? Or do they contribute to noise-induced hearing loss?
Hearing aids are a great way to help someone who is suffering from hearing loss. No matter what age or how long they’ve had hearing loss, there are plenty of options for relief. However, many people are concerned that wearing a hearing aid will make them lose their hearing even more. This article will explore the idea that wearing a hearing aid causes you to lose your hearing faster by explaining why this is not the case and how it might be true.
Hearing aids may not cause permanent deafness, but there is research showing that the devices have been associated with temporary or permanent hearing loss or other impacts on one’s health.
Do Hearing Aids Cause Hearing Loss?
Permanent hearing loss is something that has definitely been connected to the wearing of hearing aids, but this is not something that happens all of the time. You may be wondering, how does a hearing aid cause permanent hearing loss? Well, generally speaking, anything that is loud for long periods of time can cause permanent damage to your ears. When you first start wearing a hearing aid and are exposed in a loud environment it will take some time for your ears to get used to the consistent sound and volume. During this adjustment period, your eardrums will “stretch,” making them more liable to suffer permanent damage if you are in an extremely loud environment. This is also why this period is called the “breaking in” period.
Now imagine if you were exposed to an extremely loud sound on a regular basis. This would cause an even greater amount of damage to your hearing which could definitely cause permanent hearing loss. Although this problem is more severe and may take longer, there are many cases where over time a wearer’s ears become accustomed to the loud volume, but they are still exposed to it all day long. This constant level of volume can definitely lead to permanent hearing loss as well.
How To Prevent Hearing Loss?
1. Noise Exposure And Changing Volumes
Don’t expose yourself to loud noises such as from music, firearms, power tools, etc. This can cause and/or contribute to hearing loss and damage your ears. As stated before, when you are the first one in your family to wear a hearing aid or have it adjusted for the first time your ear drums will likely be stretched out due to the loud sound. Therefore, if you aren’t going to wear a hearing aid for a very long period of time or don’t change its volume you may suffer from permanent damage. A great way to protect yourself is by wearing hearing protection such as ear plugs or ear muffs while exposed to noise. These devices will protect your eardrums by blocking out the noise.
2. Take Care Of Them Properly
If you wear hearing aids, be sure to treat them well and take care of them. If you don’t, you may experience problems with your hearing aids such as broken wiring, cracked tubing, and dead batteries. Doing this will allow you to use your hearing aids for longer periods of time without having to worry about the damage that might come from not treating your hearing aids right.
3. Be Careful With Electronics
Using or exposing yourself to electronics can be very damaging to your ears as well. The noise from smartphones and other noisy devices such as headsets, speakers/earphones/earbuds, etc can easily damage your ears-even if they aren’t completely turned up all the way.
4. Avoid Loud Environments
If you are exposed to loud noises over a long period of time, you may experience problems with your ears. Loud noises can be dangerous as well as damaging to your ears which is why it is always important for people who wear hearing aids to avoid being exposed to them for a long period of time. If there are loud noises present in the environment you should consider using earplugs or earmuffs so that you can keep damage from occurring.
5. Protect Against Loud Noises
If you are in a situation where you are exposed to loud noises you should wear ear protection to keep damage from occurring. A good example of this is someone who is at the concert and is exposed to high decibel levels. Another example would be if you are at a loud party and don’t have ear protection on or if you are in an extremely loud work environment. Knowing about this can help prevent hearing aids from causing damage as well as wearing them for a longer period of time.
Remember, it takes some time for your ears to adjust to the sound and volume of your hearing aids. Therefore, there will be instances when wearing them will cause them to become damaged or cause permanent hearing loss over time.
Conclusion
Hearing aids can be very beneficial to those who wear them. However, many people are concerned that wearing a hearing aid will make them lose their hearing faster. This is not the case at all. You may still be exposed to loud noises over time and they may cause damage to your ears like they would if you didn’t wear a hearing aid, but it won’t be anything near as damaging or damaging as it would have been without a device being placed in your ear. However, if you take care of your hearing aids and protect them from damage then there is no reason that you should experience any permanent damage from your device.