Not wearing your hearing aids
October 11, 2010 6:04 PM Subscribe
Will not wearing my hearing aids make me deaf?
I've had some hearing loss and have gone to an audiologist since I was little. It's genetic weirdness, I think; no one in my family but me and my sister have it. I think I remember someone explaining to me that it was neurological but I really have no idea. My hearing never got significantly better or worse during my childhood.
I never liked wearing hearing aids. Wearing them, I always felt like the littlest noise would bug me to no end. I can hear pretty well without them; I can understand all conversation to me if the person isn't mumbling and I can hear most conversations from across the room. The only time I really have trouble is when there's a very faint noise, the kind that makes people say "did you hear that?". I haven't worn my hearing aids for like a year and people are consistently surprised that I had to wear them when I was younger.
My experience with my audiologist was consistently pretty negative. Her office was always plastered with ads for the latest models of hearing aids and I always felt like she was trying to get us to buy things. She always said that my hearing would get worse if I stopped wearing them.You know how some dentists make you feel incredibly guilty about not brushing your teeth? That's how she made me feel. If I would say they were uncomfortable or whatever, I would be told that I would get used to them. This went on until I moved out and everything. Looking back, I realize how incredibly disempowering and not okay this was, which I have to admit adds to my discomfort wearing them.
So will not wearing them make my hearing degenerate? Hearing aid batteries are expensive and they're a hassle to carry around and wear. I haven't noticed any hearing loss but I always had the feeling it would be a gradual thing, not something I would notice. I'm a musician and very into languages and this is a really scary thought.
I really have no idea how to search for this kind of thing. Any relevant studies, especially pertaining to people with hearing loss since birth, would really be appreciated. I can find some things searching for "auditory deprivation" (notably this page) but they all seem to apply to older folks just starting to lose their hearing or people who only want to wear one, and I'm not sure if those apply to me. Thanks so much!
I've had some hearing loss and have gone to an audiologist since I was little. It's genetic weirdness, I think; no one in my family but me and my sister have it. I think I remember someone explaining to me that it was neurological but I really have no idea. My hearing never got significantly better or worse during my childhood.
I never liked wearing hearing aids. Wearing them, I always felt like the littlest noise would bug me to no end. I can hear pretty well without them; I can understand all conversation to me if the person isn't mumbling and I can hear most conversations from across the room. The only time I really have trouble is when there's a very faint noise, the kind that makes people say "did you hear that?". I haven't worn my hearing aids for like a year and people are consistently surprised that I had to wear them when I was younger.
My experience with my audiologist was consistently pretty negative. Her office was always plastered with ads for the latest models of hearing aids and I always felt like she was trying to get us to buy things. She always said that my hearing would get worse if I stopped wearing them.You know how some dentists make you feel incredibly guilty about not brushing your teeth? That's how she made me feel. If I would say they were uncomfortable or whatever, I would be told that I would get used to them. This went on until I moved out and everything. Looking back, I realize how incredibly disempowering and not okay this was, which I have to admit adds to my discomfort wearing them.
So will not wearing them make my hearing degenerate? Hearing aid batteries are expensive and they're a hassle to carry around and wear. I haven't noticed any hearing loss but I always had the feeling it would be a gradual thing, not something I would notice. I'm a musician and very into languages and this is a really scary thought.
I really have no idea how to search for this kind of thing. Any relevant studies, especially pertaining to people with hearing loss since birth, would really be appreciated. I can find some things searching for "auditory deprivation" (notably this page) but they all seem to apply to older folks just starting to lose their hearing or people who only want to wear one, and I'm not sure if those apply to me. Thanks so much!
Best answer: Go get tested again with someone different and let them re-diagnose you. Your recollection of what type of loss you have is not useful enough to offer too much advice here.
You will not -specifically- lose your hearing by not wearing the aids - but potentially the ranges that you do hear poorly in may degrade faster without the inner workings of your ear having exposure to those frequencies.
(30 year veteran hearing aid wearer and formerly licensed HIS (Hearing instrument Specialist) in Florida.)
Yes, the industry is geared towards sales and commissions. No your doctor, audiologist or ENT are not exempt from that. However the doc and ENT are getting paid to diagnose you correctly whether you buy from them or not - the commission is a bonus. The HIS and most "retail" stores only get paid if you buy from them so they sometimes over-prescribe. Doesn't mean what they prescribe won't help you, just that you may be getting a Porsche when all you need is a Camry. That's more accurate when talking about physiological loss though. Your described loss could be something else entirely. Get a second opinion!
posted by emjay at 2:55 AM on October 14, 2010
You will not -specifically- lose your hearing by not wearing the aids - but potentially the ranges that you do hear poorly in may degrade faster without the inner workings of your ear having exposure to those frequencies.
(30 year veteran hearing aid wearer and formerly licensed HIS (Hearing instrument Specialist) in Florida.)
Yes, the industry is geared towards sales and commissions. No your doctor, audiologist or ENT are not exempt from that. However the doc and ENT are getting paid to diagnose you correctly whether you buy from them or not - the commission is a bonus. The HIS and most "retail" stores only get paid if you buy from them so they sometimes over-prescribe. Doesn't mean what they prescribe won't help you, just that you may be getting a Porsche when all you need is a Camry. That's more accurate when talking about physiological loss though. Your described loss could be something else entirely. Get a second opinion!
posted by emjay at 2:55 AM on October 14, 2010
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(I feel you; I failed my first hearing test at age 10 and then... I don't know what my parents did other than bring me to a pediatric ENT once and then never talk about it again. I'm 34 now and have moderate low-frequency losses in both ears with balance issues; my neurologist's trying to pin down a diagnosis based on my ENT's evaluation, and I've had my aids for two weeks and am still sorting out the experience.)
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 6:12 PM on October 11, 2010