If you don’t use it, you lose it!

Posted by HearingAids on November 9, 2010 under Hearing Loss, Prevention | Be the First to Comment

Have you ever heard the phrase “If you don’t use it, you lose it?”   I’m sure you have and guess what…this same philosophy about the rest of our body also applies to our ears.  Our ears require auditory stimulation in order to help us process and understand speech.
 
What does this mean?  This means that if you have a diagnosed hearing loss, even a mild loss, your ears are not receiving stimulation in the areas where your loss occurs.  This, in turn, can cause a decrease in your ability to understand speech that worsens if it is ignored (Emmer, 1999).  So, you are probably wondering how one goes about getting auditory stimulation?
 
Proper stimulation comes from hearing aids.  Hearing aids provide amplification in the area of the hearing loss, which in turn provides auditory stimulation to the damaged inner ear hair cells.  The faster we can diagnosis and treat hearing loss with hearing aids, the better the chances of maximizing your hearing potential.
 
As an Audiologist, the most important advice I can give you regarding hearing loss and hearing aids is “Don’t wait” and if you have hearing aids “Wear them full time.”
 
Rachele M. Orsini, Au.D., CCC-A