4 Reasons People Give Up on Hearing Aids (And Why You Shouldn’t)

As hearing care providers, there’s one particular style of hearing aid that we all are worried about. It’s detrimental for the patient, and it can avert others from even attempting to give hearing aids a try.

They’re known as “in-the-drawer” hearing aids. As opposed to behind-the-ear or in-the-canal hearing aids, ITD hearing aids never see the light of day, discouraging the patient and anyone the patient instructs about their bad experience.

For the countless numbers of people that have acquired hearing aids, a good number will call it quits on the prospect of healthier hearing for one reason or another. But with modern day technology, we know that this should not be the case.

But hearing aids are tricky. There are several things that can go wrong, leading to an unsatisfactory experience and causing people to call it quits. But there are ways to avoid this, actions you can take to guarantee that, with a little patience, you get the optimal results.

If you’ve had a negative experience in the past, know somebody who has, or are thinking about giving hearing aids a chance, you’ll want to keep reading. By becoming familiar with the reasons some people give up on hearing aids, you can eliminate the same mistakes.

Listed below are the principal reasons people give up on hearing aids.

1. Purchasing the wrong hearing aid or device

Let’s start with the fact that everyone’s hearing is unique. Your hearing loss, just like your fingerprint, is also unique to you. On top of that, most people with hearing loss have more challenges hearing higher-pitched sounds, like speech, as compared to other sounds.

For that reason, if you select a device that amplifies all sound symmetrically, like most personal sound amplifiers, sound quality will suffer, and you’ll continue to most likely be drowning out speech. You need a hearing aid that is programmed to amplify the particular sounds and frequencies you have difficulty with, while suppressing background noise at the same time.

Only programmable digital hearing aids have this ability.

2. Inaccurate hearing aid programming or fitting

Given that hearing loss is unique, the hearing aid must be custom-programmed for you exclusively. If the configurations are inappropriate, or your hearing has changed over the years, your hearing expert may have to modify the settings.

Far too often, people give up too quickly, when all they need is some modification to the amplification settings. Additionally, if your hearing changes, you may need the settings updated. Think about it like prescription glasses; when your vision changes, you update the prescription.

Also, nearly all hearing aids are custom-molded to the contours of the ear. If you find the fit uncomfortable, it may either just take some time to get used to or you may need a new mold. Either way, this shouldn’t stop you from attaining better hearing.

3. Not giving hearing aids an opportunity to work

There are two problems here: 1) controlling expectations, and 2) giving up too quickly.

If you think that hearing aids will immediately return your hearing to normal, you’re setting yourself up for a letdown. Hearing aids will improve your hearing substantially, but it takes some time to get used to.

At first, your hearing aids might be uncomfortable and loud. This is normal; you’ll be hearing sounds you haven’t heard in many years, and the amplification will sound “off.” Your brain will adapt, but not immediately. Plan on giving your hearing aids about 6-8 weeks before your brain completely adapts to the sound.

Your perseverance will be worthwhile—for patients who allow themselves time to adjust, satisfaction rates escalate to over 70 percent.

4. Not being able to hear in noisy surroundings

Individuals with new hearing aids can become easily overwhelmed in congested, noisy environments with a lot of sound. This can occur for a few reasons.

First, if you right away start using your new hearing aid in noisy settings—prior to giving yourself a chance to adapt to them at home—the sound can be overwhelming. Try to adjust in calmer environments before testing at a loud restaurant, for example.

Second, you’ll have to adjust to the loud environments too, just like you did at home. It’s typical to have one negative experience and give up, but keep in mind, your brain will adapt after some time.

And last, you might just need to upgrade your hearing aids. Newer models are becoming significantly better at eliminating background noise and enhancing speech. You’ll want to take advantage of the new technology as the rate of change is rapid.

It’s true that hearing aids are not for everyone, but the next time you hear a story about how hearing aids don’t work, you should begin questioning if any of the above is applicable.

The fact that hearing aids didn’t work for someone else doesn’t mean they won’t work out for you, particularly if you work with a trustworthy hearing care provider. And if you’ve had a negative experience in the past yourself, perhaps a fresh start, improved technology, and professional care will make all the difference.