You’ve been looking forward to this day for quite a while. You got your new hearing aids. You’re finally going to be able to get back into the groove of your social life again. No more bad transitions or unclear conversations. But there’s an issue: everything sounds just a little off.
That’s because it’ll probably take you some time to adjust to a new pair of hearing aids. Often, this transition can be annoying. You were so looking forward to enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
Luckily, there are some tips that can help accelerate the transition process. With some 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
Regardless of how technologically advanced they might be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Here are some ways you can intentionally give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:
- Only use your hearing aids for short amounts of time to begin with: When you’re just starting, you can practice by wearing your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time. They may feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer periods of time.
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you wear your hearing aids in a noisy environment right out of the box. When the brain needs to pay attention to all those voices, it can become overwhelmed at first. By beginning 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 at first: You’ll be less likely to encounter noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a greater amount of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This will help you focus on individual voices.
Get extra practice with these tips
There are some activities, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. You could even have some fun!
- Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This comparable exercise can also be quite enjoyable. Your brain will learn to make associations between sounds and words by using this read along approach.
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: put in your hearing aids, flip on the television, and watch your favorite program. Your brain will start to remember what certain words sound like as you read along with the voices you’re hearing. This kind of practice will help you get used to understanding speech again.
- Simply practice hearing: That’s right: sit in a quiet place and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the refrigerator running or the cat meowing in another room or the birds singing outside.
Tips to keep your hearing health strong
Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the primary purposes of hearing aids. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to using your new hearing aid:
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to think that once you’ve got the right hearing aids, you won’t need to have anymore hearing exams. This would be the worst idea. We can help tune your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. It’s important to continue with these follow up appointments.
- If you’re experiencing any pain, make sure you document it and report it to us.: Because it shouldn’t hurt to wear hearing aids. So it’s important to let us know about any problems with fit or any pain right away.
Go slow and maximize your time as you get accustomed to your hearing aids
Working your way up to using your hearing aids full time is the objective here. A slow and steady strategy works quite often, but everybody’s unique. 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 ensure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep using them because they continue to enrich your life.