You’ve been waiting for this day for quite a while. 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 bad transitions or unclear conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
That’s because it’ll most likely take you a while to adjust to a new pair of 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.
Luckily, there are a few tips that can help quicken the transition process. With a little practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re paying less attention to hearing aids, and paying more attention to what you’re hearing.
Start slowly with these tips
No matter how technologically sophisticated they may be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Here are a few ways you can intentionally give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:
- Focus on one-on-one conversations first: If you wear 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. When the brain has to focus on all those voices, it can become overwhelmed at first. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a bit of additional practice.
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house initially: You’ll be less likely to experience noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a better degree of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This means you can concentrate on one voice at a time.
- Only wear your hearing aids for short periods of time to begin with: When you’re just starting, you can practice by using 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. As your hearing aids get more comfortable, you can use them for longer periods of time.
Get added 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 enjoyable!
- Read along with the printed book while you listen to the audiobook.: This is a very similar exercise (and lets you have some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook together will help your brain make connections between words and sound.
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: sit in a quiet space and let your ears do the hearing. Start off by focusing on the sound of wind blowing through the trees or birds chirping or nearby running water.
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put in your hearing aids, flip on the TV, and watch your favorite program. As you read the words you’ll also be hearing the characters talk, and your brain will start remembering what all these words sound like. This can give you some practice hearing and getting used to speech.
Tips to keep your hearing health up
Obviously, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your hearing as healthy as possible. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to wearing 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 let us know about 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 have anymore hearing exams. Nothing could be further from the truth. 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 visits.
Take your time, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the goal here. Everyone’s different but the slow and steady approach usually works best. You’ll want to get individualized guidance from us on the best way for you to get accustomed to your new hearing aid.
These tips will help you live a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.
