Tailored Settings Key for Hearing Aids, Specialist Advises

Hearing aids are not as straightforward as eyeglasses; while glasses provide immediate clarity, a hearing aid requires an ongoing process of adaptation to one's own ears, according to Lee In-kwon, a hearing instrument specialist and director of the Phonak Hearing Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Lee, who has over a decade of experience assisting hearing-impaired individuals with hearing aid selection and adjustment, stresses that the expertise of the fitter and the quality of post-fitting care are as important as the device itself.

Lee explains that even individuals with the same level of hearing loss, such as 40 dB, experience sound differently. Factors like sensitivity to loud noises, specific frequency losses, and the ability to distinguish speech all necessitate unique settings. A user's daily environment, whether they spend most of their time in a quiet home or in noisy places like offices or markets, must also be considered during the fitting process. Modern hearing aids feature 'data log' functions that record usage time and exposure to noise, providing objective data that, combined with the user's subjective feedback, allows for precise adjustments.

Effective fitting extends beyond the consultation room. Users must try the hearing aids in real-life situations, in cars, restaurants, or workplaces, and report any issues, such as sounds being too loud or speech remaining unclear. This iterative process of adjustment, often involving follow-up visits every one to two weeks, is vital. Initial discomfort, like one's own voice sounding reverberant or ambient noises seeming too loud, is common. However, Lee advises against immediately discarding the devices. Fine-tuning the hearing aid's form factor, the degree of ear canal occlusion, and frequency-specific output can significantly reduce discomfort. Crucially, the brain and ears need time to acclimate to new soundscapes.

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It is important to make wearing the hearing aid a natural habit, putting it on when you wake up in the morning and taking it off before you go to sleep.

Lee cautions against simply increasing the volume when a user reports difficulty hearing. He notes that devices adjusted elsewhere sometimes have excessively high output levels. Instead, a thorough re-evaluation of the user's hearing is necessary, potentially involving changes to earmolds or receivers. He urges consumers to look beyond price and brand, prioritizing professionals with specialized training in audiology and hearing aids, who can accurately assess hearing and provide continuous support. The ability to visit the provider frequently is also key, as hearing and device performance can change over the typical 5-7 year lifespan of a hearing aid. Regular check-ups, at least annually, for hearing acuity, speech discrimination, and device function are recommended.

Delaying hearing aid use is also problematic. Prolonged untreated hearing loss can lead not only to reduced sound perception but also to a decline in the ability to understand speech, even when sounds are audible. Once speech discrimination deteriorates, simply amplifying sound may not restore clarity. Therefore, Lee concludes, hearing aids are less a one-time purchase and more an auditory rehabilitation tool requiring ongoing adjustment and adaptation. Achieving clear hearing depends less on the cost of the device and more on the critical process of proper fitting and consistent user adaptation.

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The process of properly adjusting the hearing aid to one's hearing and using it sufficiently in real life, then continuously adjusting the uncomfortable parts, is more important than buying the hearing aid.