You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. You received your new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to jump into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing parts of conversations or going through uncomfortable transitions. But there’s an issue: everything sounds just a little off.
The reason for this is that it will often take a bit of time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. Sometimes, this transition can be frustrating. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so long.
Luckily, there are a few tips that can help quicken the transition process. With a little practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re paying less attention to hearing aids, and tuning in to what you’re hearing.
Tips that help you start Slowly
No matter how technologically sophisticated they might be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to proceed slowly and purposely give your ears time to adjust.:
- Use your hearing aids for a short period of time: A few hours at a time is the most you should wear your hearing aids when you first start out. They might feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can use them for longer periods of time.
- Begin by wearing your hearing aids at home only: You’ll be less likely to experience noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a better amount of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This means you can concentrate on one voice at a time.
- First, try to focus on one-on-one conversations: You may be setting yourself up for disappointment if you wear your hearing aids in a noisy environment on the first day. It’s just that it’s difficult for your ear and brain to deal with focusing on all those different voices. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a little additional practice.
Get extra practice with these tips
Similar to any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are certain activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. You may even have some fun!
- Watch TV with the closed-captions on: It’s easy: Turn the TV on, put your hearing aids in, and enjoy. Your brain will begin remembering what certain words sound like as you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This can give you some practice hearing and adjusting to speech.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This similar exercise can also be very enjoyable. Your brain will learn to make associations between words and sounds by using this read along approach.
- Simply practice hearing: That’s right: Go somewhere a little quiet and take in the sounds around you. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds chirping outside.
Strengthen your hearing health with these tips
Of course, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your hearing as healthy as you can. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get accustomed to wearing your new hearing aid:
- Be sure to note and report any pain: Because it shouldn’t be painful to wear hearing aids. So if you’re noticing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to let us know as soon as you can.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to presume that once you’ve got the right hearing aids, you won’t need to have anymore hearing exams. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can help adjust your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to keep an eye on your hearing. These follow up visits are really important.
Take your time, and work up to full-time hearing aids
Your objective here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids full time. Everybody’s unique but the slow and steady strategy often works best. You’ll want to get personalized advice 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.