You’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. You got your new hearing aids. You’re so thrilled to be able to dive into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing elements of conversations or going through uncomfortable transitions. But your hearing aids just don’t sound quite right.
The reason for this is that it will often take a bit of time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. Often, this transition can be annoying. You were so looking forward to enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
Luckily, there are a few tips that can help quicken the transition process. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re paying less attention to hearing aids, and paying more attention to what you’re hearing.
Tips that help you start Slowly
Regardless of how technologically advanced they may be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Here are some ways you can deliberately give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: If you use your hearing aids while eating at a crowded restaurant on your first day you get them, you might be disappointed, not because the hearing aids aren’t working. When the brain has to pay attention to all those voices, it can get overloaded at first. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a little extra practice.
- Use your hearing aids for a short duration: A few hours at a time is the most you should use your hearing aids when you first get started. They might feel a little funny at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. You can start to use your hearing aids for longer periods as you become accustomed to them.
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house initially: When you’re at home, you have much more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll probably experience substantially less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
Get added practice with these tips
As with any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are some activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. You could even have some fun!
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: Turn the TV on, put your hearing aids in, and enjoy. As you read the words you’ll also be hearing the actors speak, and your brain will start remembering what all these words sound like. This can give you some practice hearing and getting used to speech.
- Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This comparable exercise can also be very enjoyable. Reading and listening to an audiobook simultaneously will help your brain make links between sounds and words.
- Simply practice hearing: That’s right: sit in a quiet place and let your ears do the hearing. Start off by focusing on the sound of wind blowing through the trees or birds singing or nearby running water.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Of course, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your ears as healthy as possible. And there are a few tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to wearing your new hearing aid:
- If you have any pain, be sure you document it and report it to us.: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to report any issues with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to believe that once you’ve got the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can help tune your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. These follow up appointments are really important.
Be patient, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Your objective here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids all of the time. Everybody’s unique but the slow and steady strategy usually works best. You’ll want to get individualized guidance from us on the best way for you to get accustomed to your new hearing aid.
These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.