What steps you can take to help prepare your ears and aids for the fall and winter months ahead?
Stock Up
Make sure you have plenty of batteries, hearing aid wipes, and the proper cleaning tools. If something goes wrong with your device, there’s a lot you can do at home to fix the problem, especially with regular maintenance.
But be sure to call or visit your audiologist for all necessary supplies.
Get Tested
If you’ve been waiting to get your hearing tested or re-tested (or if you need a new hearing aid), now might be the perfect time to do it, before it gets too cold. All REM offices still follow COVID-19 safety procedures, so you can take care of your hearing needs quickly and safely.
Be sure to also look into any telehealth or remote testing options. Sometimes, an audiologist may be able to diagnose and fix a problem over the phone or video chat.
Keep Up Your Brain Training
This time of year, everyone spends a lot more time indoors. This can have unwanted consequences for those with hearing loss. The more you’re isolated, the less you talk with people, the easier it is for your hearing comprehension — your ability to understand speech in noise — to backslide.
REM recommends trying to stay connected to as many people as possible. Video chats and Zoom hangouts are ideal supplements to interacting with people in person, and your devices may even be able to be paired to your computer system. Audiobooks can also be a helpful, enjoyable training technique.
Talk to Your Audiologist
Your audiologist, because they know you and will know what to do. They can recommend the best actions to take and will help you with your fall and winter preparations.
Give them a call! See what they have to say.