You’ve been looking forward to 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 missed transitions or confused conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t sound 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. You were so looking forward to enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
But there are several tips you can practice to decrease this transition period. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re thinking less about your 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 a little while to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to start slowly and purposely give your ears time to adjust.:
- At 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 noisy setting right out of the box. It’s just that it’s hard 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 smoother and also get a little extra practice.
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house at first: You’ll be less likely to experience noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a better amount of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This means you can concentrate on one voice at a time.
- Wear your hearing aids for a short period of time: 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 weird in your ears for a while so starting slowly is okay. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer durations.
Get added practice with these tips
There are some things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. Some of these are even fun!
- Simply practice hearing: That’s right: Go 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 another room or the birds chirping outside.
- Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This is a very similar exercise (and lets you get in some fun reading while you’re at it). Your brain will learn to make connections between sounds and words by employing this read along approach.
- Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, flip on the TV, and watch your favorite program. As you read the dialog you’ll also be hearing the characters talk, and your brain will begin to remember what all these words sound like. This kind of practice will help you get used to understanding speech again.
Tips to keep your hearing health up
Of course, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your ears as healthy as possible. And there are a few tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get accustomed to wearing your new hearing aid:
- Keep visiting us: You may not think you need to get hearing assessments anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be a bad idea. We can continue to watch your hearing, make certain the fit is comfortable, and make any required adjustments. It’s essential to continue with these follow up appointments.
- If you have any pain, make sure you document it and report it to us.: Because it shouldn’t be painful to wear hearing aids. So it’s important to let us know about any issues with fit or any pain right away.
Go slow and increase your time as you get used to your hearing aids
Your objective here will be to work your way up to wearing your hearing aids all of the time. Everybody’s different but the slow and steady approach usually works best. Understanding the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can assist you with.
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 improve your life.
