CBR122_Getting the Most Out of Your New Hearing Aids Consumer Brochure 0421

YOUR NEW HEARING DEVICES WIDEX MOMENT™

SOUND LIKE NO OTHER

CONGRATULATIONS FOR TAKING THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS BETTER HEARING! With your new hearing devices, you don’t have to miss the sounds of life any longer! You will now begin to enjoy better communication with your family, friends and loved ones, and an improved quality of life.

Communication is a basic need for all of us. Our ability to communicate is affected when we have hearing difficulties. And what is more important than listening to the people we love, enjoying our favorite music, and fully experiencing the beautiful sounds of life?

Hearing devices have evolved into sophisticated communication systems with high fidelity sound.

Although no hearing solution can completely restore normal hearing, the hearing technology available today offers: exceptional sound quality all-day comfort discreet, nearly invisible designs easy-to-use smartphone apps rechargeable batteries connection to the world around you We at Widex are excited you have made the lifechanging decision to wear hearing devices and experience the fullness of the sounds of life once again.

Untreated Hearing Loss Hearing loss is not at all uncommon. Over 48 million Americans of all ages have some degree of hearing loss.

In fact, at least one in every three people over the age of 65 has significant hearing loss.

Not everyone takes the step you just have. Most people with hearing loss wait an average of seven years before seeking treatment. But missing the sounds of life isn’t the only negative affect.

Research shows that untreated hearing loss: negatively impacts personal relationships lowers quality of life decreases the ability to communicate can cause depression and isolation contributes to mental decline in multiple ways increases the risk of dementia creates balance issues leading to increased falls puts an extra burden, or cognitive load, on the brain Your new hearing solution will not only open the door to better communication with your loved ones, it can positively affect your overall quality of life and improve your brain health.

Welcome back to the sounds of your life!

HEARING DEVICE STYLES So discreet, others may not even notice you are wearing them.

Completely-In-Canal Micro

Completely-In-Canal

Canal

Half Shell

Full Shell

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEARING Like other senses, deterioration of hearing begins early and continues as we age. The degree of decline differs for all and is related to heredity, genetics, aging, and environmental factors. Hearing loss is often considered a common part of aging (the medical term is presbycusis).

This does not mean that hearing loss should be accepted passively. With your new hearing devices, you are taking positive steps to improve communication with your family and friends.

While you cannot change hereditary and genetic factors, you do have control over environmental factors. Loud noise is the biggest environmental factor associated with hearing loss. Noise can damage the sensory (hair) cells within the cochlea, which will lead to hearing loss. To protect your hearing, be mindful of loud noise sources and protect your ears when possible.

Receiver-In-Canal Instant-FIt

Receiver-In-The-Ear Custom-Fit

Receiver-In-The-Ear with 2.4 MFi connection

Thin Tube Behind-The-Ear

Classic Fit Behind-The-Ear

Power Behind-The-Ear

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NEW HEARING DEVICES

LEARN HOW TO BE A BETTER COMMUNICATOR

TIP 1

Hearing devices are designed to provide you with a greater range of sounds than what your hearing loss has allowed you to hear. Encountering all of these “new” sounds again may surprise or even tire you at first.

GET COMFORTABLE WEARING YOUR HEARING DEVICES Hearing devices are made to be worn, on average, 12-16 hours a day. Your hearing devices should become a normal part of your life, similar to wearing glasses or contact lenses. When you get up in the morning, put your hearing devices in before beginning your day. At night, take your hearing devices out before going to bed.

Some individuals start gradually, wearing their hearing devices a few hours every day and increasing the wearing time over the first month. If you experience any discomfort when wearing your hearing devices, consult your Hearing Healthcare Professional.

Adjust to Your Own Voice Hearing loss affects how you hear your own voice. At first, your voice may sound different to you. This is normal. The more consistently you wear your hearing devices, the better your voice will sound to you.

TIP 2

Retrain Yourself for More Effective Communication Have a positive attitude and wear your hearing devices every day. If you need to do so, take a break, and then come back to wearing your hearing devices as soon as possible.

Begin at home where you can become accustomed to the sounds and conversation of friends and family in familiar surroundings.

Be an Active Listener People with normal hearing have to be active listeners and take advantage of speech and environmental cues in order to understand in many situations. Everyone hears and follows conversation better when they concentrate and learn to ignore or suppress unwanted sounds.

TIP 3

DISCOVER NEW SOUNDS When you first start wearing your hearing devices, you may be aware of many sounds around you that you do not recognize. These are the sounds of daily life that you have not heard in a long time — if ever — depending on the extent of your hearing loss. Try to identify sounds you don’t recognize, and make a conscious decision to ignore the ones that are unimportant.

As your brain adjusts to new sounds it will begin to filter them. With practiced attention and motivation, you will become better at separating out important versus unimportant sounds in your environment.

Noise exposure and age-related hearing loss often result in not being able to hear high pitched speech sounds such as “s”, “f, and “th”. This can create the perception of being able to hear someone talking but not being able to understand them. With your new hearing devices, you may now be able to hear these sounds, allowing you to better understand speech.

TIP 5

TIP 4

LISTENING TO RADIO AND TELEVISION When watching TV or listening to the radio, concentrate on trying to follow the overall meaning rather than each individual word. Even people with normal hearing miss some parts of conversations on the radio or TV. Using accessories for the TV can help increase overall enjoyment with less effort. Ask your Hearing Healthcare Professional about these accessories.

TV PLAY™

YOUR HEARING DEVICES AND VOLUME Hearing devices are sophisticated devices designed to help you hear better in a variety of different settings; however, it is important to not expect to have “superhuman hearing.” Even people with normal hearing cannot hear everything.

Many of today’s hearing devices work automatically to adjust the volume in different listening environments so that you can hear with ease. In addition, yours may be equipped with a manual control in which you can adjust your listening preference based on your environment.

Depending on your hearing device, this adjustment can be made either on the hearing device, with a simple remote, or by using an app on a smartphone. Discuss adjusting the volume with your Hearing Healthcare Professional.

TV-DEX™

Remember, turning the volume up too high can result in distortion of the sound and can lead to discomfort

TIP 6

TIP 8

COPING WITH A NOISY WORLD

USING THE TELEPHONE AND OTHER PERSONAL LISTENING DEVICES

Your hearing devices will reintroduce you to many sounds you may have forgotten, such as the ticking of a clock, the beeps of a microwave oven, the chirping of birds, and a child’s high-pitched voice. With time, your brain will relearn how to focus on what you want to hear and enjoy hearing the details of your environment again.

Visiting Public Places Restaurants, theaters, houses of worship, conference rooms, and other public places can be challenging for the hearing device wearer.

Sit where listening conditions are best. Be sure to sit where you have an unobstructed view of the speaker.

In a restaurant, try to sit in a booth and away from doorways, restrooms, or the kitchen.

If you miss something, rather than asking them to repeat what they’ve said, clarify which part you missed.

There are a number of different ways to improve understanding while using a telephone.

Most hearing devices have special circuitry to help cancel or minimize feedback (annoying whistling), allowing you to use the telephone without any special switches or equipment.

Some hearing devices sync directly to your smartphone so you hear the phone conversation in both ears, automatically.

Your hearing device may also have a telecoil which can be used with both land line and cellular phones.

Using wireless hearing device accessories can also provide connections between your hearing devices and telephones, FM systems, computers, MP3 players and more.

TIP 7

BINAURAL HEARING — USING TWO EARS With a hearing loss in both ears, it makes sense to wear two hearing devices. We are born with two ears for a reason. When compared to hearing with just one ear, you can hear sounds from both sides, understand speech better and with more clarity with both ears.

Furthermore, providing the brain with sounds from both ears makes it easier to understand language, locate sounds around you, and potentially hear better in challenging environments.

Talk to your Hearing Healthcare Professional to find which solution is best for you.

HEARING LOSS ALSO AFFECTS FAMILY AND FRIENDS Hearing loss is invisible. In many cases, it occurs gradually and over many years; but any degree of hearing loss impacts the people around us.

Support and consideration from friends and family is a significant help to someone who is getting used to wearing hearing devices.

Friends and family members should not avoid conversations with those with hearing loss. With your new hearing devices, you and your loved ones can now focus on enjoying better communication!

TALKING WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS HEARING LOSS 1. Speak Clearly Pay attention to making each speech sound fully formed without missing parts or dropping word endings.

Do not shout — this causes speech to distort and often will become uncomfortable to a person with a hearing loss.

When you say words and sentences in a precise, accurate, and fully-formed manner, a person with hearing loss can better follow a conversation, resulting in less frustration for everyone.

2. Improve The Communication Environment Get closer: the ideal distance for normal conversation is approximately 3 feet.

Do not try to communicate from another room unless it is necessary.

If possible, move away from the background noise and towards the person with hearing loss. Don’t try to have a conversation in rooms with numerous noises.

Turn down the volume of competing noise — do not try to talk over the TV or radio.

When possible, choose quieter restaurants. If someone with normal hearing has difficulty hearing in a restaurant, a person with hearing loss will have even more difficulty there.

3. Use Preferred Communication Skills Face the person who has a hearing loss when speaking. Make sure the listener can see your face and lips — visual cues are very helpful to understanding with hearing devices. Keep your hands away from your mouth.

Periodically cue the topic: “We’re talking about…”

This will help fill in the blanks for things that cannot be heard.

Get the person’s attention by saying their name first, before starting to speak to them.

4. Talk To The Person, Not “Around Them” Listen carefully, and be encouraging to the person with hearing loss as communication starts to improve.

Do not talk to the spouse, partner, family member or friend instead of the person who has the hearing loss.

Talk to the person, not “around” them.

Be courteous to the feelings of the person with hearing loss. Do not patronize — hearing loss has nothing to do with lower intelligence.

SOUND LIKE NO OTHER

Today’s ultra-comfortable and virtually-invisible hearing device models are so small, others may not even notice you are wearing them. © Widex USA All Rights Reserved Hearing devices may not provide the same benefits to all users, and may not be appropriate for everyone with a hearing loss. A Hearing Healthcare Professional can test your hearing and determine if hearing devices can help you. Your success with hearing devices depends upon a competent examination, proper fitting and your ability to adapt to a hearing device.

Printed 2021-01. 9 502 5401 041 #02 / CBR122/0421 Widex is a registered trademark of Widex A/S. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android, Google Play, and Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. Subject to change with no further notice.