You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. You got your new hearing aids. You’re so thrilled to be able to dive into your social life again. No more bad transitions or confused conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
That’s because it’ll likely take you a while to adjust to a new pair of hearing aids. Sometimes, this transition can be frustrating. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so long.
But there are a few tips you can practice to decrease this transition period. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re paying less attention to hearing aids, and tuning in to what you’re hearing.
Start slowly with these tips
No matter how technologically advanced 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 adjust.:
- 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 could be disappointed, not because the hearing aids aren’t working. When the brain has to pay attention to all those voices, it can get overwhelmed at first. Staying with one-on-one conversations can help make that transition easier (and give you a little extra practice, too).
- Wear 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 most likely feel a little strange in your ears for a while so beginning slowly is okay. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer durations.
- Wear 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 substantially less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
Get extra practice with these tips
Similar to any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are some activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. You could even have a little fun!
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: 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.
- Read along with the printed book while you listen to the audiobook.: This is a really similar exercise (and lets you have some fun reading while you’re at it). Your brain will learn to make associations between words and sounds by using this read along technique.
- Do some listening exercise: That’s right: Sit someplace 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 another room or the birds chirping outside.
Strengthen your hearing health with these tips
Of course, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your ears as healthy as possible. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to using your new hearing aid:
- Be certain to take note of and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t be painful. So it’s important to report any issues with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to presume that once you have the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can help make adjustments to your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to keep an eye on your hearing. These follow up appointments are very important.
Be patient, and work up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the objective here. A slow and steady strategy is often effective, but everybody’s unique. Learning 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.