Why Hearing Aids Don’t Work

Before you cancel your hearing test appointment, allow me to explain. 

For a lot of people, hearing aids alone do not do the job that they need them to; whether it be because they don’t adapt to wearing them, the devices were fitted incorrectly and don’t fit as needed, or the prescription itself isn’t quite what their hearing needs, people often give hearing aids a try … and then dump them in a junk drawer when they’re not perfect. 

You’ve heard of the old devices getting tossed away, but before you abandon all hope, there’s some important notes to make about hearing aids – and why yes, sometimes, they’re not what someone needs most. 

​Myth = Busted 

One of the most common assumptions of hearing aids is that they are the solution to hearing loss – with hearing aids in hand (or in ear), your hearing loss challenge won’t be a challenge anymore. 

As great as it’d be to say it’s that easy, hearing loss is best treated with hearing care: regular hearing assessments, ear cleanings and care from a professional audiologist can help alleviate hearing loss challenges but not cure them. 

Hearing aids act as support for your ears to help you hear better; hearing loss itself is permanent, but with the help of hearing aids, you can alleviate the struggles associated with hearing loss. 

​How Do I Treat Hearing Loss?  

For some individuals with a hearing loss, the hearing aids they’re given aren’t quite what they need. From the wrong prescription to the wrong make and model, getting hearing aids is like trying on shoes: you need the exact right pair for ultimate comfort and beneficial use. 

Getting the right hearing aid depends on going to the right team. For some individuals that visit manufacturer-led clinics, that manufacturer may not have the model that the individual specifically needs for their hearing loss challenges, leading to frustration down the line. 

So the question remains: if hearing aids aren’t perfect, then how do you treat hearing loss? The answer is with hearing care – with audiologist-recommended and tested hearing aids that are tuned to what your specific ears need, as well as the understanding from you, the wearer, that your devices are here to help, not cure, your hearing loss challenges. 

Hearing aids can do a lot of good, including enhancing your hearing, helping with your balance, improving cognitive ability and warding off the risk of dementia. With the right hearing aids, as well as professional hearing care from a team of expert audiologists, you can see the many benefits of why hearing aids do work.