You’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. You received your new hearing aids. You’re finally going to be able to get back into the swing of your social life again. No more missed transitions or confused conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
The reason for this is that it will usually take some time before you get used to your new 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.
The good news is, there are a few tips that can help accelerate the transition process. Pretty soon, with a little practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing rather than your hearing aids.
Start slowly with these tips
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 deliberately give your ears time to adapt.:
- Use your hearing aids only around the house at first: When you’re at home, you have a lot more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll likely experience substantially less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
- First, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: If you use your hearing aids while eating at a crowded restaurant on your first day you get them, you could be disappointed, not because the hearing aids are doing anything wrong. It’s just that it’s difficult for your ear and brain to manage 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 extra practice.
- Wear 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. Your hearing aids will most likely feel a little weird in your ears for a while so beginning slowly is fine. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can use them for longer durations.
Get extra practice with these tips
Much like any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are some activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. Some of these are even enjoyable!
- 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 as you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This type of practice will help you adjust to understanding speech again.
- Simply practice hearing: 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 refrigerator running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds singing outside.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This is a very similar exercise (and lets you have some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook concurrently will help your brain make associations between sounds and words.
Strengthen your hearing health with these tips
Keeping your ears as healthy as you can, after all, is one of the main purposes of hearing aids. But, as you take some time to get used to your new hearing aids, there are some things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- Be sure to note and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t be painful. So it’s important to report any problems with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to think that once you’ve got the right hearing aids, you won’t need to have anymore hearing exams. This would be a bad idea. We can help adjust your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. These follow up visits are very important.
Go slow and maximize your time as you get used to your 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. Understanding the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can assist you with.
These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.