Getting hearing aids is an important step, but it’s only the beginning of The Journey to Better Hearing. Ongoing care & support is what keeps you hearing at your best. At Yost Hearing, your team supports you long after the initial fitting of your hearing aids. The hearing aid is an important tool, but the care & support you receive from your Yost Hearing team is what helps you maximize your experience and get the most from your hearing.
Get the Most From Your Hearing Aids
- Wear Consistently: This is the most vital step. Your brain needs time to adjust to hearing sounds it may not have heard clearly for a while. Consistent use helps your brain re-learn how to process speech and environmental sounds more naturally. The more regularly you wear your hearing aids, the easier both conversations and everyday listening situations will become.
- Learn Gradually: Modern hearing aids often include helpful features such as noise reduction, volume control, and smartphone app functions. Learning to use these tools significantly enhances your listening experience. Additionally, accessories like a Multi Microphone or TV streamer can take your hearing to another level by bringing sound directly to your hearing aids in difficult listening environments.
- Practice Patiently: It is normal for new sounds or adjustments to seem difficult at first. Your brain is relearning how to process the changes and it may take some time. Start by wearing your aids in quieter environments for comfort first, then gradually progress into more complex listening situations like restaurants or group conversations. Steady, patient practice leads to natural effortless hearing over time.
- Communicate Openly: If you struggle to hear in specific situations – like restaurants, meetings, or phone calls – tell us promptly. Small tweaks can create big improvements! The goal is to personalize your hearing care to your exact preferences. Open lines of communication with your hearing professionals at Yost Hearing always ensures the best possible outcomes
Visit Yost Hearing (at least) Semi-Annually
A comprehensive hearing aid check-up is vital every 3-6 months. This allows for a deep cleaning of your hearing aids, tubing changes, dome & filter replacements, and a check for earwax. If necessary, Yost Hearing offers earwax removal using a temperature and pressure-controlled device called the Earigator. Patients appreciate the convenience of this fast in-clinic ear cleaning procedure. Additionally, a professional drying treatment is done to maximize moisture removal to prolong the life of the hearing aid. Last but not least, a listening check of your hearing aids makes sure that they are working as optimally as they should. If a problem is discovered early, costly hearing aid repairs may be prevented.
Annual Hearing Screening
Hearing can change gradually over time, often without you noticing. Yost Hearing recommends an annual in-clinic hearing screening. Just as your prescription with eyeglasses can change from year to year, so can your hearing! No one would want to wear eyeglasses that are the wrong prescription, so why would you want to wear hearing aids that are the wrong prescription? By screening your hearing annually, any need to make changes to the programming of your aids is uncovered. Remember hearing aids are programmable, so as your hearing prescription changes so can the programming of the hearing aid.
Adjustments & Reprogramming
It’s common to need a few adjustments as you get used to your hearing aids. Additionally, changes in your hearing, lifestyle, or listening environments may also mean your hearing aids need to be adjusted. Maybe voices sound too sharp, or the settings don’t feel right in noisy environments. Our team can fine-tune your devices so they sound natural and fit comfortably. If something isn’t working for you, let us know. Small changes often make a big difference. Remember, your hearing needs can change over time, so adjustments may be helpful months or even years after your initial fitting.
Ongoing Coaching Support
Getting the most from your hearing aids is about more than adjusting the devices. It’s also about learning how to use them, communicating what you are experiencing, and developing strategies that make everyday communication easier. Your Yost Hearing team can help you work through challenging listening situations and provide practical suggestions, such as positioning yourself where you can clearly see the speaker, reducing background noise when possible, asking others to face you when speaking, choosing quieter locations in restaurants, and using visual cues and context to fill in missed information. Help getting comfortable with the technology, including connecting your hearing aids to your mobile phone, using the hearing aid app, streaming phone calls or other audio, and learning how to use helpful features and accessories is upmost importance to us. Our team is “hear” to answer questions, talk through frustrations, and help you find strategies that work for your lifestyle. Sometimes small changes in how you listen, where you position yourself, or how you use your hearing aids can make a big difference.
What to Expect Over Time
The Journey to Better Hearing is a process, and everyone experiences it a little differently. Your brain needs time to adjust to hearing sounds more clearly, and some listening situations may take more practice than others. Being open-minded, willing to learn, and willing to try new strategies can make a meaningful difference in your progress. Family members and loved ones can also play an important role by practicing better communication habits and understanding what you are experiencing. Your comfort, confidence, hearing needs, lifestyle, and listening environments may change over time, and your hearing care can change with you. The goal is progress, not perfection. Your team at Yost Hearing will continue to work with you, make adjustments when needed, and help you build the skills and confidence to communicate as successfully as possible.