You’ve been waiting for this day for quite a while. You got your new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to jump into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing elements of conversations or experiencing awkward transitions. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
The reason for this is that it will normally take some time before you get used to your new 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.
Luckily, there are some tips that can help accelerate the transition process. Before long, with a little practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing instead of your hearing aids.
Tips that help you start Slowly
Your brain will take a little time to get accustomed to hearing certain sounds again regardless of how sophisticated your hearing aids are. Use these tips to proceed slowly and purposely give your ears time to adapt.:
- Only wear your hearing aids for short periods of time at first: When you’re just beginning, you can practice by wearing your hearing aids for just a few hours at a time. Your hearing aids will probably feel a little strange in your ears for a while so beginning slowly is fine. You can start to use your hearing aids for longer durations as you get used to them.
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: If you use your hearing aids while dining at a crowded restaurant on your first day using the devices, you could be disappointed, not because the devices are doing anything wrong. When the brain needs to pay attention to all those voices, it can become overloaded at first. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition easier and also get a bit of extra practice.
- Use your hearing aids only around the house initially: When you’re at home, you have a lot more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll likely experience significantly less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
Get extra practice with these tips
There are some things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. Some of these are even fun!
- Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, flip on the television, and watch your favorite program. Your brain will begin remembering what certain words sound like when you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This kind of practice will help you get used to hearing speech again.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This is a very similar exercise (and allows you to have some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook simultaneously will help your brain make connections between sounds and words.
- Do some listening practice: That’s right: Sit somewhere a little quiet and experience the sounds around you. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the refrigerator running or the cat meowing in another room or the birds singing outside.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Obviously, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your hearing 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:
- Keep visiting us: You may not think you need to get hearing exams anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be the worst idea. We can continue to monitor your hearing, make sure the fit is comfortable, and make any required adjustments. It’s essential to continue with these follow up visits.
- Be certain to note and let us know about any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t be painful. So if you’re experiencing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to report it as soon as you can.
Be patient, and work up to full-time hearing aids
Your goal here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids all of the time. Everybody’s different but the slow and steady approach usually works best. You’ll want to get individualized guidance from us on the best way for you to get used to your new hearing aid.
These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.