You finally got those new hearing aids. You’re so thrilled to be able to jump into your social life again. No more bad transitions or unclear conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t seem quite right.
The reason for this is that it will usually take a bit of time before you adjust to your new hearing aids. Sometimes, this transition can be frustrating. After all, there was so much you were excited to do, and that adjustment period just feels so slow.
But there are a few tips you can practice to reduce this transition period. Before long, with a bit of practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing rather than your hearing aids.
Tips that help you start Slowly
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 proceed slowly and deliberately give your ears time to adjust.:
- Focus on one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for frustration if you use your hearing aids in a crowded environment on the first day. It’s just that it’s tough for your ear and brain to deal with focusing on all those different voices. 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 amounts of time at first: When you’re just starting, you can practice by using your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time. They might feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s okay to start slowly. As your hearing aids get more comfortable, you can use them for longer durations.
- Start by using your hearing aids at home only: You’ll be less likely to experience noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a greater degree of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
Get additional practice with these tips
Similar to any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are certain activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. You might even have a little fun!
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the print version: This is a really similar exercise (and allows you to get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Your brain will learn to make connections between sounds and words by using this read along strategy.
- Do some listening practice: That’s right: sit in a quiet space and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by focusing on trying to hear the refrigerator running or the cat meowing in another room or the birds chirping outside.
- Watch TV with the closed-captions enabled: It’s easy: put in your hearing aids, flip on the television, and watch your favorite show. Your brain will begin remembering what certain words sound like when you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This sort of practice will help you adjust to hearing speech again.
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 accustomed to wearing your new hearing aid:
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to believe 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 continue to track your hearing, make sure the fit is comfortable, and make any required adjustments. It’s important to continue with these follow up appointments.
- Be sure to note and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to report any issues with fit or any pain right away.
Go slow and increase your time as you get used to your hearing aids
Your goal here will be to work your way up to using your hearing aids full time. A slow and steady strategy is often effective, but everyone’s different. You’ll want to get individualized advice from us on the best way for you to get used to your new hearing aid.
Sticking with these tips (and tips like them) can help make sure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep wearing them because they continue to enhance your life.
