You’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. You got your new hearing aids. You’re finally going to be able to get back into the swing of your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing parts of conversations or experiencing uncomfortable transitions. But there’s an issue: everything sounds a little bit off.
The reason for this is that it will usually take some time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. This can be a frustrating transition. You were so looking forward to enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s hard to be patient.
Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help accelerate the transition process. Before long, with a bit of practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing instead of your hearing aids.
Start slowly with these tips
No matter how technologically sophisticated they might be, it’s going to take your brain some time to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to proceed slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adapt.:
- Focus on one-on-one conversations first: If you wear your hearing aids while eating at a crowded restaurant on your first day using the devices, you might be discouraged, not because the devices are doing anything wrong. When the brain needs to pay attention to all those voices, it can become overwhelmed at first. Staying with one-on-one conversations can help make that transition easier (and give you a little extra practice, too).
- Use your hearing aids for a short duration: When you’re just beginning, you can practice by using your hearing aids for just a few hours at a time. Your hearing aids will probably feel a little strange in your ears for a while so beginning slowly is fine. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer periods of time.
- Begin by using your hearing aids at home only: When you’re at home, you have much more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll likely experience substantially less noise pollution. This will help you focus on individual voices.
Get extra practice with these tips
There are some things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. You might even have some fun!
- Watch TV with the closed-captions on: It’s easy: Turn the TV on, put your hearing aids in, and enjoy. Your brain will begin remembering what certain words sound like when you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This can give you some practice hearing and getting used to speech.
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: Sit someplace a little quiet and take in the sounds around you. You can practice by focusing on trying to hear the refrigerator running or the cat meowing in another room or the birds chirping outside.
- Read along with the printed book while you listen to the audiobook.: This similar exercise can also be very enjoyable. Reading and listening to an audiobook simultaneously will help your brain make links between sounds and words.
Tips to keep your hearing health strong
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: There might be a temptation to presume that once you’ve got the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can help adjust your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. It’s important to continue with these follow up appointments.
- Be sure to take note of and let us know about any pain: Because it shouldn’t hurt to wear hearing aids. So if you’re experiencing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to let us know as soon as you can.
Take your time, and work 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 usually works best. You’ll want to get individualized advice from us on the best way for you to get used to your new hearing aid.
These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.
