You finally got those new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to dive into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing parts of conversations or experiencing uncomfortable transitions. But your hearing aids just don’t sound quite right.
The reason for this is that it will often take some time before you get used to your new hearing aids. Often, this transition can be annoying. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so slow.
Luckily, there are a few tips that can help quicken the transition process. Before long, with a bit of 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 while to get used to hearing certain sounds again no matter how sophisticated your hearing aids are. Use these tips to start slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adjust.:
- 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 considerably less noise pollution. This will help you concentrate on individual voices.
- At first, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: You could be setting yourself up for frustration if you wear your hearing aids in a crowded environment on the first day. It’s just that it’s difficult 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, too).
- Use your hearing aids for a short period of time: 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 weird in your ears for a while so starting slowly is fine. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer periods of time.
Get additional practice with these tips
As with 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!
- Watch TV with the closed-captions on: It’s easy: put in your hearing aids, 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 type of practice will help you adjust to understanding speech again.
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: Sit somewhere a little quiet and experience the sounds around you. 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.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the printed book: This similar exercise can also be really enjoyable. Your brain will learn to make connections between words and sounds by employing this read along approach.
Tips to keep your hearing health strong
Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the principal purposes of hearing aids. But, as you take some time to get accustomed to your new hearing aids, there are some things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- Be certain to take note of and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to let us know about any problems with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: You might not think you need to get hearing exams anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be a bad idea. 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 appointments.
Be patient, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the objective here. Everyone’s different but the slow and steady approach often works best. You’ll want to get personalized guidance from us on the best way for you to get used to your new hearing aid.
Following these tips (and tips like them) can help ensure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep using them because they continue to enhance your life.