You finally got those new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to jump into your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing parts of conversations or going through awkward transitions. But there’s an issue: everything sounds just a little off.
That’s because it’ll likely take you a while to adjust to a new set of hearing aids. This can be an annoying transition. You were so excited about enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
Luckily, there are some tips that can help speed up 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
Regardless of how technologically advanced they may be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to proceed slowly and purposely give your ears time to adapt.:
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you use your hearing aids in a crowded environment on the first day. When the brain needs to pay attention to all those voices, it can get overwhelmed at first. By beginning with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition easier and also get a bit of additional practice.
- Only use your hearing aids for short periods of time to begin with: When you’re just beginning, you can practice by using your hearing aids for just a few hours at a time. They might feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s okay to start a little bit at a time. You can begin to use your hearing aids for longer periods as you become accustomed to them.
- 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 considerably less noise pollution. This will help you concentrate on individual voices.
Get extra practice with these tips
There are some activities, as with any skill, that can help you with hearing aid practice. Some of these are even fun!
- 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 start to remember 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 understanding speech again.
- Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This similar exercise can also be quite enjoyable. Your brain will learn to make connections between words and sounds by using this read along technique.
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: sit in a quiet place and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds singing outside.
Tips to keep your hearing health strong
Obviously, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your ears as healthy as possible. But, as you take some time to get used to your new hearing aids, there are a few things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- If you’re experiencing any pain, be sure you take note of it and tell us about it.: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to report any issues with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to think that once you have the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. This would be a bad idea. We can help tune your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to keep an eye on your hearing. These follow up appointments are very important.
Take your time, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Your goal here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids full time. A slow and progressive strategy works quite often, but everybody’s different. You’ll want to get individualized guidance from us on the best way for you to get used to your new hearing aid.
Implementing these tips (and tips like them) can help make sure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep using them because they continue to enrich your life.