Adjusting to hearing aids can be intimidating, especially if you’re worried they will impede your ability to enjoy certain activities.
Luckily, hearing aids have the power to improve your quality of life and give you the opportunity to safely embrace your interests, including listening to music. There are many ways to maximize your hearing aids to better enjoy the nuances of your favorite songs.
Continued exposure to loud noises can erode hearing over time, and musicians and music lovers are often impacted. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 18% of adults aged 20-60 report hearing loss after five or more years of exposure to loud noise in their place of work. Hearing aids can be combined with hearing protection (earmuffs or covers) so you can protect your remaining hearing while enjoying the music clarity hearing aids offer.
If you want to confidently attend concerts at Miller Theater or Bell Auditorium with hearing aids, there are systems and tools available to you.
Set Up Your Hearing Aids for Music
Many hearing aids have settings to optimize functions for different activities, including listening to music. Because the sound frequencies of human conversations and music differ, it’s important to use the right setting in different situations.
Your provider can help you customize your hearing aid’s settings for the types of music you want to listen to, whether casual at-home listening or visiting music venues. When the time comes, you can use your hearing aid’s mobile app to switch between settings.
Connect to a Hearing Loop
A hearing loop, or audio induction loop, exists in many public settings as an ADA accommodation. To take advantage of this system, switch your hearing aid to the “T” setting if it has a T-coil. With a hearing loop, you will receive a customized sound signal straight to your hearing aid. This setting is easy to use and widely available.
Use Bluetooth® or Headphones
If your hearing aid is within a few years old, it likely has Bluetooth capabilities. If it does, you can pair your hearing aids with your phone, television or radio to listen to music and stream it directly to your hearing aids. Alternatively, wearing noise-canceling headphones over your hearing aids is a great way to use headphones to listen to music.
It’s important to remember that even with hearing loss, hearing protection is still important. It’s natural to want to turn up the volume when listening to music, but if you struggle to hear your favorite songs, your provider can help you find the right solution. To learn more, schedule an appointment with Augusta – Aiken ENT & Allergy today.