You’ve been looking forward to this day for quite a while. You received your new hearing aids. You’re finally going to be able to get back into the groove of 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 an annoying transition. You were so looking forward to enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
But there are a few tips you can practice to reduce this transition period. Pretty soon, with a bit of practice, you will be paying attention to what you’re hearing instead of your hearing aids.
Tips that help you start Slowly
Your brain will take a little while to get used to hearing certain sounds again regardless of how sophisticated your hearing aids are. Use these tips to start slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adapt.:
- Use your hearing aids for a short period of time: A few hours at a time is the most you should use your hearing aids when you first start out. They may feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s okay to start slowly. You can start to wear your hearing aids for longer durations as you become accustomed to them.
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house at first: 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.
- Initially, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: If you wear your hearing aids while dining at a crowded restaurant on your first day you get them, you might be discouraged, not because the devices aren’t working. When the brain has to focus on all those voices, it can become overloaded at first. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a little additional practice.
Tips that help you get added practice in
There are some things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you with hearing aid practice. You might even have some fun!
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the printed book: This is a very similar exercise (and lets you get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook together will help your brain make associations between words and sound.
- Do some listening practice: That’s right: sit in a quiet room and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by focusing on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds chirping outside.
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put in your hearing aids, turn 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 sort of practice will help you get used to hearing speech again.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Obviously, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your hearing as healthy as possible. But, as you take some time to get accustomed to your new hearing aids, there are a few things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- 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 help make adjustments to your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to keep an eye on your hearing. These follow up appointments are very important.
- If you have any pain, be sure you take note of it and tell us about it.: Because it shouldn’t hurt to wear hearing aids. So if you’re noticing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to report it as soon as possible.
Be patient, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Your objective here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids all of the 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 live a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.
