WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU NEED HEARING AIDS, BUT DON’T WEAR THEM?

Whether you already have hearing aids or are scheduling your first hearing aid consultation in Springfield, MO, you may have questions and concerns. A concern that tops the list is whether there will be negative repercussions to not keeping hearing devices in your ears at all times. After all, you don’t need your hearing aids when you’re reading, working out or cleaning the house, right? This is an excellent question, but there is no one right answer.

Like other people diagnosed with hearing loss, you are probably curious as to what happens when you need hearing aids, but don’t wear them. Do you have to wear them all the time? If you don’t wear your hearing aids, will your hearing get worse? Let’s find out!

Wearing hearing aids

One of the first things a new patient will ask during their hearing aid consultation in Springfield, MO is whether they must wear their hearing aids 24/7. Doctors and audiologists may tell you that hearing devices are not only for improving hearing ability, but for personal wellbeing, too. With improved hearing, you can enjoy being social without struggling to hear or having to ask people to repeat themselves, and your family and friends will stop asking you about your hearing loss.

The basics of hearing loss

The first thing everyone needs to know is that hearing ability may slowly decline over time whether you wear hearing aids or not. But despite popular belief, your ability to hear won’t take an automatic turn for the worse if you don’t wear your prescribed hearing aids. That being said, there is a chance that your speech recognition will get worse more quickly without hearing devices than if you were to wear your hearing aids daily. What does this all mean?

To have hearing loss means you are missing certain sounds. This is a real problem, as the hearing nerve in your brain is not getting enough stimulation—the nerves require stimulation to work as they should, and without stimulation the nerve inevitably stops working. Unfortunately, the result of this is a lack of nerve activity in the auditory complex, the area of the brain that processes the sounds we hear.

To keep your ears healthy, alert and working their best, they need to hear everyday sounds often in order to recognize the sounds right away. Leave hearing loss untreated and you will eventually find it difficult to understand and recognize sounds—this is because the nerve is not functioning well. The good news is that wearing hearing aids provides your brain with enough stimulation for it to be able to function properly. This is why you shouldn’t wait to get or wear your hearing aids.

The good and the bad

Side effects of not wearing hearing aids include having trouble recognizing speech, cognitive decline, memory problems, less productivity and more. On the other hand, wearing hearing aids can benefit your quality of life, relationships, memory, mental health and work life.

If you need to schedule a hearing aid consultation in Springfield, MO, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Half Price Hearing Aids.