You finally got those new hearing aids. You’re so thrilled to be able to jump into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing elements of conversations or going through awkward transitions. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
That’s because it’ll likely take you some time to adjust to a new set of hearing aids. Often, this transition can be frustrating. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so long.
But there are a few tips you can use to minimize this transition period. Pretty soon, with a bit of practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing instead of your hearing aids.
Start slowly with these tips
Your brain will take a little time to get accustomed 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 adapt.:
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for frustration if you wear your hearing aids in a noisy setting right out of the box. It’s just that it’s tough for your ear and brain to deal with focusing on all those different voices. By beginning with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition easier and also get a bit of additional 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 start out. Your hearing aids will most likely feel a little weird in your ears for a while so beginning slowly is fine. You can begin to wear your hearing aids for longer durations as you get used to them.
- Use 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 better amount 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 things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. Some of these are even fun!
- Watch TV with the closed-captions enabled: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, turn on the TV, and watch your favorite show. Your brain will begin remembering what certain words sound like when you read along with the voices you’re hearing. 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 is a really similar exercise (and allows you to get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Your brain will learn to make associations between sounds and words by employing this read along approach.
- Do some listening practice: That’s right: sit in a quiet place and let your ears do the hearing. Start out by focusing on the sound of wind blowing through the trees or birds chirping or nearby running water.
Tips to keep your hearing health up
Keeping your ears as healthy as you can, after all, is one of the main purposes of hearing aids. 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 might 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 monitor your hearing, make sure the fit is comfortable, and make any needed adjustments. It’s essential to continue with these follow up visits.
- If you have any pain, make sure you take note of it and tell us about it.: Your hearing aids shouldn’t be painful. So it’s important to report any problems with fit or any pain right away.
Take your time, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the objective here. Everybody’s unique but the slow and steady approach often works best. Understanding the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can help you with.
These tips will help you live a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.
