You finally obtained those 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 unclear conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t sound quite right.
The reason for this is that it will normally take some time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. This can be an annoying transition. You were so excited about enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s hard to be patient.
But there are some tips you can use to decrease this transition period. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re thinking less about your hearing aids, and tuning in to what you’re hearing.
Start slowly with these tips
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 proceed slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adapt.:
- First, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: You may be setting yourself up for frustration if you wear your hearing aids in a crowded setting on the first day. It’s just that it’s hard 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).
- Only wear your hearing aids for short periods of time to begin with: When you’re just starting, you can practice by wearing your hearing aids for just a few hours at a time. They may feel a little funny at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. You can start to wear your hearing aids for longer periods as you become accustomed to them.
- Begin by using 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 greater degree of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This means you can concentrate on one voice at a 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!
- Do some listening practice: That’s right: sit in a quiet space and let your ears do the hearing. Start off by tuning in to 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 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 sort of practice will help you adjust to understanding speech again.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This is a really similar exercise (and allows you to get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook simultaneously will help your brain make associations between sounds and words.
Tips to keep your hearing health strong
Keeping your ears as healthy as you can, after all, is one of the main purposes of hearing aids. 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 take note of and report any pain: Because it shouldn’t be painful to wear hearing aids. So it’s important to report any problems with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: You may not think you need to get hearing exams anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be the worst idea. We can continue to monitor your hearing, make certain the fit is comfortable, and make any required adjustments. It’s important to continue with these follow up appointments.
Be patient, and work up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the goal here. A slow and steadfast strategy is often effective, but everybody’s different. Understanding the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can help you with.
Sticking with these tips (and tips like them) can help make sure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep wearing them because they continue to enrich your life.