You finally obtained your 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 your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
The reason for this is that it will often take a bit of time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. Often, this transition can be annoying. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so long.
Luckily, there are a few tips that can help quicken the transition process. Pretty soon, with a bit of practice, you will be paying attention to what you’re hearing rather than your hearing aids.
Start slowly with these tips
No matter how technologically advanced they might be, it’s going to take your brain some time to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to start slowly and purposely give your ears time to adapt.:
- Start by using your hearing aids at home only: When you’re at home, you have a lot more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll likely experience significantly less noise pollution. This will help you concentrate on individual voices.
- Only wear your hearing aids for short periods of time at first: When you’re just beginning, you can practice by wearing your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time. Your hearing aids will most likely feel a little strange in your ears for a while so beginning gradually is okay. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can use them for longer durations.
- First, try to focus on one-on-one conversations: You could be setting yourself up for frustration if you wear your hearing aids in a crowded environment on the first day. When the brain has to pay attention to all those voices, it can get overloaded at first. By beginning with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a little extra practice.
Get added practice with these tips
Much like any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are some activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. Some of these are even enjoyable!
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: Sit someplace a little quiet and experience the sounds around you. 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.
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the printed book: This similar exercise can also be very enjoyable. Reading and listening to an audiobook concurrently will help your brain make associations between sounds and words.
- Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: Turn the TV on, put your hearing aids in, and enjoy. Your brain will start to remember what certain words sound like as you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This sort of practice will help you adjust to hearing speech again.
Tips to keep your hearing health up
Keeping your ears as healthy as you can, after all, is one of the principal purposes of hearing aids. But, as you take some time to get accustomed to your new hearing aids, there are some things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- 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. 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 really important.
- Be sure to note and report any pain: Because it shouldn’t be painful to wear hearing aids. So if you’re experiencing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to report it as soon as possible.
Take your time, and build up to full-time hearing aids
Working your way up to using your hearing aids full time is the goal here. A slow and steadfast approach is often effective, but everybody’s unique. You’ll want to get personalized guidance from us on the best way for you to get accustomed to your new hearing aid.
These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.