You finally obtained your new hearing aids. You’re so thrilled to be able to dive into your social life again. No more bad transitions or confused conversations. But there’s an issue: everything sounds a little bit off.
That’s because it’ll likely take you some time to adjust to a new set of hearing aids. This can be an annoying transition. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so slow.
But there are a few tips you can practice to decrease this transition period. Pretty soon, with a bit of 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 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.:
- Focus on one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for frustration if you use your hearing aids in a noisy setting on the first day. 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 smoother (and give you a bit of 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 concentrate on individual voices.
- Use your hearing aids for a short duration: 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 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 wear them for longer periods of time.
Tips that help you get added practice in
Much like any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are a few activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. Some of these are even fun!
- Do some listening exercise: That’s right: Sit somewhere a little quiet and experience the sounds around you. Start out by focusing on the sound of wind blowing through the trees or birds singing or nearby running water.
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, flip on the TV, 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 type of practice will help you adjust to understanding speech again.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This similar exercise can also be very enjoyable. Reading and listening to an audiobook together will help your brain make associations between words and sound.
Strengthen your hearing health with these tips
Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the principal purposes of hearing aids. And there are a few tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get accustomed to using your new hearing aid:
- Be certain to take note of and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t be painful. So if you’re noticing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to let us know as soon as possible.
- Keep visiting us: You might not think you need to get hearing evaluations anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be a bad idea. We can continue to track your hearing, make certain the fit is comfortable, and make any required adjustments. It’s essential to continue with these follow up appointments.
Go slow and increase your time as you get accustomed to your 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 approach often 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 live a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.
