Your Hearing, Your Lifestyle, Your Communication
When you have your hearing assessed, your Hearing Healthcare Professional will discuss your hearing levels and how they affect your communication and daily life. They will ask questions about your lifestyle, not to be intrusive, but to understand how changes in your hearing are impacting you.
- Do you have the TV louder than your partner?
- Can you hear clearly on the telephone?
- Do you have trouble hearing in background noise?
- Do you have trouble following conversations in work meetings?
- Can you still hear clearly in places such as church?
If a loved one attends the appointment with you, they may also be asked about changes they have noticed. Listen carefully to their observations, as those close to you are often affected by your hearing loss. Thinking about your hearing challenges before the appointment will help you clearly explain how your hearing affects your lifestyle.
Quiet vs. Complex Lifestyle
This distinction is important because it directly influences the level of hearing aid technology you may need.
- Quiet lifestyle: If you spend most of your time at home, live with one or two people, and have limited exposure to noisy environments, your main challenges may be television volume or telephone clarity. If you listen to music regularly, let your clinician know so a music program can be added. A quieter lifestyle usually does not require high-end technology.
- Complex lifestyle: If you are active, still working, or socially engaged, it is important to describe all listening situations you encounter. Meetings, exercise classes, social gatherings, dining out, music, streaming, mobile phone use, travel, and large family events all create complex sound environments. If your hearing has declined, you are likely experiencing difficulties across many of these areas and will benefit from higher-level hearing aid technology.
Do You Need Two Hearing Aids?
Unless you have hearing loss in only one ear, the answer is usually yes. Two ears allow for sound localisation, balance, and interpretation of complex sound environments. If you have hearing loss in both ears and only wear one hearing aid, you lose important cues needed for effective communication. Binaural stimulation helps the brain interpret speech, particularly in noisy situations, and improves localisation through timing differences between ears.
Modern hearing aids communicate wirelessly with each other, allowing the brain to better determine where sound is coming from and improving speech understanding in challenging environments.
Physical Limitations
Conditions such as arthritis, reduced vision, or limited mobility can affect how easily you manage hearing aids. These factors are important to discuss with your clinician.
Automatic controls, removal handles, or wire pulls may make hearing aids easier to manage. If handling small disposable batteries is difficult, rechargeable hearing aids may be a better option.
Medical Conditions Affecting Hearing Aid Choice
Conditions such as frequent wax build-up, ear infections, exostoses, or other outer ear issues can limit suitable hearing aid styles. Small custom devices are often not recommended in these cases. If you experience tinnitus, hearing aids with tinnitus programs can provide relief. Conditions such as Meniere’s disease, which causes fluctuating hearing loss, require hearing aids with adjustable controls and close ongoing management.
Staying in regular contact with your clinician ensures your hearing aids remain optimally adjusted as your hearing changes.
