A common worry among first-time hearing aid wearers is that amplified sound will speed up hearing loss, while others hope hearing aids will hold their hearing exactly where it is. At Artisan Hearing Technologies LLC, with offices in South Williamsport and Wellsboro, board-certified hearing instrument specialists Jennifer Burget, BC-HIS, and Toni VanNess, along with hearing instrument specialist Veronika Yerke, HIS, can evaluate your hearing, explain what may be behind the changes you notice, and clarify what hearing aids can and cannot do. Hearing aids can’t reverse hearing loss, but they can amplify sound so you hear more clearly.
What Breaks Down in the Inner Ear to Cause Lasting Hearing Loss?
Lasting hearing loss develops when tiny hair cells in the inner ear break down or are lost, and because these cells do not regenerate, this type of hearing loss is usually permanent. Hearing aids cannot repair the damage, but they can make sounds easier to hear and help you communicate more comfortably.
Sound travels through the outer and middle ear to the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure in the inner ear. Thousands of hair cells inside the cochlea convert sound vibrations into electrical signals, which travel along the auditory nerve to the brain.
Hair cells can be damaged by:
- Natural aging
- Exposure to loud noise over time or from a single loud event
- Genetic factors
Some hearing problems, such as earwax blockage or certain middle ear conditions, may be treatable. A hearing test helps identify the type and degree of hearing loss so you can explore the most appropriate options.
Can Hearing Aids Hold Off Further Hearing Loss?
Hearing aids generally cannot hold off further hearing loss, because they do not prevent or slow its physical progression. However, they may help preserve the brain’s ability to understand speech by keeping the auditory system active and engaged.
When hearing loss goes untreated, the brain receives less sound information over time. This reduced stimulation, known as auditory deprivation, can make the brain areas responsible for processing sound less active. As a result, clients may find speech increasingly difficult to understand, even once they begin wearing hearing aids.
Consistently wearing properly fitted hearing aids gives the brain the regular sound input it needs to process. This helps maintain speech understanding, which is often more important than simply making sounds louder. Because many people wait years after noticing hearing difficulties to seek care, an earlier evaluation can make a meaningful difference.
Why Do Words Blur Together, and How Do Hearing Aids Help Speech?
Words blur together when hearing loss affects the higher frequencies that carry many speech sounds, and hearing aids help by amplifying the specific frequencies you have difficulty hearing. Rather than making every sound louder, modern digital hearing aids are programmed to match your hearing loss, listening needs, and surroundings.
Many speech sounds, particularly consonants such as “s,” “f,” and “th,” fall in higher frequencies that are often the first affected by hearing loss. When these sounds are difficult to hear, words can run together or seem mumbled. By restoring access to these sounds, hearing aids help make speech clearer and easier to follow.
Many hearing aids also include features designed to support communication, such as:
- Noise reduction to help in busy environments
- Speech enhancement to emphasize voices
- Feedback suppression to reduce whistling
- Automatic adjustments as listening environments change
Hearing aids cannot eliminate all background noise, and some hearing difficulty may remain. Adjusting to amplified sound also takes time. Wearing your hearing aids consistently and sharing feedback with your hearing instrument specialist helps you get the most benefit from your devices.
What if Your Hearing Loss Worsens After You Start Wearing Aids?
If your hearing loss seems to worsen after you start wearing properly fitted hearing aids, the change is most likely due to the natural progression of hearing loss rather than the devices themselves, and an updated hearing test can confirm it. Correctly fitted and programmed hearing aids are designed to support hearing, not damage it.
Some clients notice that sounds seem quieter or more distant when they remove their hearing aids. This happens because the brain becomes accustomed to clearer, amplified sound. It does not necessarily mean hearing has worsened, but any noticeable change should be evaluated.
Hearing aids include maximum output limits to keep amplification safe. Problems may occur when devices are too loud, poorly programmed, or not designed for your hearing loss. You should never wear hearing aids that belong to someone else. Distorted, uncomfortable, or overly loud sounds may indicate a need for adjustment.
Schedule a follow-up appointment if you notice:
- More difficulty understanding conversations
- Sounds that seem distorted or uncomfortable
- Frequent volume increases to hear clearly
- Changes in hearing in one ear
A new evaluation can show whether your hearing has changed. In many cases, our hearing instrument specialists can reprogram your existing hearing aids to address new hearing needs.
Which Hearing Aid Is Right for You, and How Do Our Specialists Help?
The right hearing aid depends on your hearing, communication needs, and lifestyle, and our hearing instrument specialists help by evaluating your hearing, recommending appropriate devices, and programming them for your specific hearing loss.
This begins with a comprehensive hearing evaluation to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. From there, Jennifer Burget, Toni VanNess, or Veronika Yerke may ask where you have the most difficulty hearing, how active your lifestyle is, and which features may be most useful.
Hearing aids vary in size, style, features, and price, including behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and in-the-canal designs. During your hearing aid fitting, they can explain each option and help you choose a device that fits your hearing needs, comfort, and budget.
Schedule Hearing Aid Care With Artisan Hearing in South Williamsport
If you’ve started missing parts of conversations, a hearing aid consultation with Jennifer Burget, Toni VanNess, or Veronika Yerke can help you sort out what’s changed. A hearing evaluation can clarify the cause of your hearing difficulties and help determine whether hearing aids or other treatment options are right for you.
Call our South Williamsport office at 570-325-1547 or our Wellsboro office at 570-605-4489, or contact Artisan Hearing Technologies to schedule an appointment.