My hearing aids are really helping, but sometimes I still struggle in noisy places. Is there anything I can do to help?

Question: My hearing aids are really helping, but sometimes I still struggle in noisy places. Is there anything I can do to help?

Answer: It is the ear that hears, but it is the brain that understands. The brain can be compared to a muscle that needs to be trained and exercised in complex situations to strengthen it for understanding.

This is called aural rehabilitation. AR can have many benefits, including more effective hearing aid use, better communication skills, better perception of speech in noise, and reduced disability related to hearing loss.

Rehabilitation is not always a component of a hearing aid fitting, as many providers are not confident in their ability to implement AR in a way that works for their patients. There are apps you can download to your phone that can help, as well as written exercises and even websites.