If your hearing loss has progressed to the degree that you need hearing aids, a critical factor in their success is your understanding and acceptance of realistic expectations of their capabilities. Hearing instruments regardless of brand or type of technology can never replace normal hearing in all listening situations.

Expecting results that cannot be achieved will only lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. If you know what to expect, you'll be free to enjoy the improvements that hearing aids can make in your life. Here are some tips which should help you achieve a set of realistic expectations.

• The amount of improvement to be gained from wearing hearing aids is based upon the degree and duration of your hearing loss.
  
• Commonly the more severe the hearing loss is the larger the hearing aid will be. There are some exceptions to this but normally a larger loss will need a larger amplifier.
  
• Large, busy social gatherings are situations when even someone with no hearing loss may have trouble hearing conversation. The hearing aid's role is to provide natural clear speech in a variety of situations without getting too loud or quiet.
  
• As well as improving speech a hearing aid will also enable you to hear sounds which you may have forgotten were part of your world, such as the hum of a refrigerator or the sound of a car engine.
  
• It takes time to get used to new hearing aids as every sound, in every day will be improved.
  
• Despite some advertising, hearing aids will not cut out all background noise. This would be unsafe as you would be unable to hear someone approaching you from behind or cross a road safely. The role of a hearing aid in background noise would be to improve the speech above the noise.
  
• Normal hearing listeners in difficult hearing environments rely on speech cues and focus their attention on the speaker. These skills are even more important for a hearing aid user when in these environments.
  
• Hearing aids will not restore your hearing to normal. Science has not yet been able to match complexities of the human ear.
  
  

If you need any further advice to see if a hearing aid would help you then please contact us on our freephone number.

0800 028 6179

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