Since the start of the pandemic, most of us have spent the majority of our time at home. In the peace of your own house, you may feel that it is unnecessary to wear your hearing aids throughout the day. However, audiologists warn against going long periods without wearing your devices. In fact, you should wear them every day during all waking hours, no matter where or how you spend your time.
Why Do I Need to Wear Hearing Aids Every Day?
There are several reasons it’s important to wear your hearing aids regularly.
Auditory Deprivation
You probably remember that when you first started wearing your hearing aids, it took a while to get used to hearing all the sounds in your environment again. If you go without wearing your hearing aids days or weeks in a row, you’ll again have to acclimate to the hearing world.
This is due to how your brain adapts to changes in hearing. As an example, think of a baby who can’t hear. Catherine Palmer, president of the American Academy of Audiology and professor at the University of Pittsburgh, explains, “If hearing and speech and language are the parents’ goal, we need to get stimulation to the auditory nerve quickly because neural synapses are developing.”
“This is an issue for adults as well. We don’t want the auditory system deprived of sound because over time that can change auditory processing abilities,” she continued.
Isolation
This is a lonely time for everybody. And people with hearing loss are already at risk for experiencing feelings of loneliness.
Jonathan J. Suen, co-author of a study on social isolation, loneliness and hearing loss during COVID-19, explained, “It was not surprising to learn that numerous studies show a significant connection between hearing loss, loneliness, and social isolation… Even anecdotal assumptions about a link make sense because we know that hearing loss affects our communication patterns, which therefore can impact our relationships with others.”
Hearing aids can keep you connected during daily, meaningful interactions and with long-distance loved ones over phone or video calls.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call The Hearing & Balance Center today!