You finally obtained your new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to jump into your social life again. No more bad transitions or confused conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
That’s because it’ll probably take you a while to adjust to a new set of hearing aids. This can be a frustrating transition. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so slow.
The good news is, there are a few tips that can help accelerate the transition process. Pretty soon, with a little practice, you will be paying attention to what you’re hearing rather than your hearing aids.
Tips that help you start Slowly
Your brain will take a little time to get used to hearing certain sounds again no matter how sophisticated your hearing aids are. Use these tips to proceed slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adjust.:
- Only wear your hearing aids for short amounts of time at first: A few hours at a time is the most you should wear your hearing aids when you first get started. They may feel a little funny at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. You can begin to wear your hearing aids for longer durations as you become accustomed to them.
- Initially, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: If you use your hearing aids while dining at a crowded restaurant on your first day using the devices, you might be discouraged, not because the hearing aids are doing anything wrong. It’s just that it’s tough for your ear and brain to manage focusing on all those different voices. Staying with one-on-one conversations can help make that transition easier (and give you a little extra practice, as well).
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house initially: You’ll be less likely to encounter noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a greater degree of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This will help you focus on individual voices.
Tips that help you get added practice in
There are some activities, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. Some of these are even fun!
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: Go someplace a little quiet and take in the sounds around you. You can practice by focusing on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in another room or the birds singing outside.
- Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, turn on the television, and watch your favorite program. As you read the dialog you’ll also be hearing the characters talk, and your brain will begin to remember what all these words sound like. This can give you some practice hearing and adjusting to speech.
- Read along with the printed book while you listen to the audiobook.: This is a really similar exercise (and lets you get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook concurrently will help your brain make connections between words and sound.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the primary purposes of hearing aids. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to wearing your new hearing aid:
- Be certain to note and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to report any issues with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: You may not think you need to get hearing exams anymore after you get your hearing aids. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can continue to track your hearing, make certain the fit is comfortable, and make any needed adjustments. It’s important to continue with these follow up visits.
Go slow and increase your time as you get used to your hearing aids
Your goal here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids all of the time. A slow and steady strategy works quite often, but everyone’s different. Understanding the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can assist you with.
Implementing these tips (and tips like them) can help make sure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep using them because they continue to enrich your life.