What can hearing aids do & can’t do?

For those who are not familiar with hearing aids, you may have your own assumptions on what you think it can and can’t do. However, you will be surprised about some of the myths out there but people assume, like it’s a “cure” (spoiler alert: it’s not).

So in this post, you will learn about what hearing aids can and can’t do so that you are aware of what to expect when meeting anyone who is wearing one or two.

Check out the video below (which is captioned) or you can read the transcripts by scrolling down further:

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Transcripts

I’ve heard a lot of different myths about hearing aids, what they can do, what they can’t do.

And people make assumptions, but then I’ve heard some kind of crazy stuff as well, and I just thought, right, let me clarify everything. Let me just clear the myths of what people think hearing aids are, and what they can and they can’t do in this video right now.

1. Hearing aid is not a cure

Here is the situation because even though I’m wearing the heading aids right now it doesn’t mean that it’s a cure, its there to assist you, its there to help you, it doesn’t mean that you will have exactly the same hearing level as the average person.

2. Not the same as “normal” hearing

It doesn’t exist like that, it doesn’t work like that we’re still using a previous technology, and its not gonna be the same quality as well because really its almost kind of electronic. I say almost because it used to be so bad, and I’m talking like back in the 90s where it was just robotic. Everyone sound like a robot to me anyway.

But now its getting a lot better and when you go to an audiologist they’re kind of like a sound engineer, they just make their adjustments with the acoustic and the bass and the treble all that kind of stuff, but it still doesn’t mean that it is the most natural sound.

I’m wearing it, even though I can hear myself it doesn’t sound like a clear, smooth sound.

3. It doesn’t mean we can hear perfectly

And just because someone is wearing a hearing aid doesn’t mean that they can hear you perfectly fine as well.

You might come across with people who wear hearing aids and they don’t hear very very well, it just there to help them get that little bit extra sound in their ear, and it help them with everyday life, but it doesn’t mean that like they have perfectly fine.

4. Other factors can affect hearing quality

So if you have a person who is completely profoundly deaf wearing a hearing aid will not fix that problem and that something that we should all be aware of.

So just bear that in mind when someone is wearing a hearing aid, it doesn’t mean that they can hear you perfectly, there are still so many factors like the environment around you, is it noisy, is it clear to you face-to-face can they lip read you, all these things take into account as well so, bear that in mind as well.

5. There are different types of hearing aids

The other thing as well is that there are different types, let me just show you this one as well. This is the one I’m wearing right now, and this is the one that’s been provided by the NHS. Standard.

But it changes all the time with technology because if you compared it with the other one I used to have, which is this one.

Compared to this one, slight differences especially with the tube this ones a bit thicker whereas the other one is a bit smaller.

And the reason I can’t wear this one because not enough sound travel through my ear, and I wouldn’t pick up all the sound I would like, so I have to wear the one with the bigger tube.

Related Article: What Does it Feel & Sound Like to Wearing Hearing Aids? [Video]

And this is the thing as well, a lot of different type of hearing aid for different purposes. So if I want to wear the really tiny one that goes right into my ear, it won’t work. Because I’ve got a specific type of hearing loss which is mainly high pitch and those small hearing aids would not work, so because of that I have to wear these bad boys, the one with the big thick tubes.

This one, they’re just to help me out so again, just make sure that you know that if someone is wearing a different type of hearing aid it’s for different reasons as well.

6. Some may hear OK without hearing aids

And don’t forget everyone has different type of hearing loss, so you might come across with a few people who will take theirs off, you might be still able to talk to them and have a conversation like we are doing right now.

So a person like me for example, in a certain environment I can do that I can not wear a hearing aid, and then I can speak to you fine, but for other people it might be a bit more challenging but still it might work okay, depending on for example the environment, the lighting, can they see your face, can they lip read you, there’s so many factors there as well.

So just because the person is not wearing a hearing aid you can’t just make an assumption: sometimes they can hear, sometimes they can’t, it just depends on the person.

7. Hearing aids are not always comfortable

And finally I should say that when you wear your hearing aids on, its not that great fun because its like wearing the headphones and in there all day every day and when you take it off, it’s like taking off your shoes, it’s just so nice, it’s so so nice.

But unfortunately we have to wear it but like right now (when it’s off your ears),  it feels quite good. It’s very very good, I’m not gonna lie, it just taking your shoes after a long hard day at work, that’s the feeling that I get.

So there we have it, just a few myths that I want to kind of dispel because people assume one thing and the other when it comes to hearing.

I hope that makes sense, if you have any other questions let me know in the comment section below.

In the meantime, I’ll see you soon.

Take care!

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