Hearing aids are a fantastic tool for people with hearing loss. However, it’s important to remember to take them out before you sleep!
Millions of People Have Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a common chronic condition that affects millions of Americans every year. Hearing aids can be a huge help to those with hearing loss. In fact, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that close to 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Benefits
The benefits of hearing aids are numerous. First and foremost, they make it easier to communicate and stay connected to others, which makes everything from your work life to spending time with friends out at Vintage Public House in Redding less stressful and more enjoyable.
Additionally, using hearing aids, as opposed to leaving your hearing loss untreated, can actually help improve your health in other ways, including:
- Lowering your risk of anxiety and depression
- Improving your balance and reducing your risk of falls
- Reducing your risk of cognitive decline and dementia
To get the full benefits of hearing aids, it’s important that you wear them as much as possible. However, it’s equally important that you take them out when you’re showering, swimming and when you go to sleep at night.
Four Reasons Not to Sleep with Your Hearing Aids
Because hearing aids can make you feel more secure in your ability to hear important sounds, many individuals may want to wear them at night as well. However, there are several reasons why that’s a bad idea.
- You need to avoid earwax buildup. When you wear hearing aids, it makes it harder for earwax to move out of the ear naturally. Giving them a break at night can help reduce earwax buildup.
- Your hearing aids need to dry out. Wearing hearing aids every day exposes them to earwax, moisture and other debris that can cause damage to the device if they aren’t cleaned and able to dry out at night.
- It’s not comfortable. When you lie down, your hearing aid can press into the skin of your ear, which can cause discomfort and make it harder to sleep.
- Feedback can keep you up at night. If the microphone in your hearing aids rubs against a pillow, it can create a scratchy sound or high-pitched whistling, known as feedback. This can wake you up in the night and prevent both you and your partner from getting a good night’s rest.
If you have additional questions or need to schedule an appointment with one of our audiological experts, call Audiology Associates of Redding today.