You’ve been waiting for this day for quite a while. You got 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 seem quite right.
That’s because it’ll probably take you some time to adjust to a new pair of hearing aids. This can be a frustrating transition. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so long.
The good news is, there are a few tips that can help speed up the transition process. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a space where you’re paying less attention to hearing aids, and tuning in 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 some time to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Here are a few ways you can purposely give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house initially: When you’re at home, you have a lot more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll probably experience significantly less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
- First, try to pay attention to one-on-one conversations: If you wear your hearing aids while eating at a crowded restaurant on your first day you get them, you might be discouraged, not because the devices aren’t working. It’s just that it’s difficult for your ear and brain to manage focusing on all those different voices. By starting out with one-on-one conversations you will make the transition smoother and also get a bit of extra practice.
- Only use your hearing aids for short periods of time at first: A few hours at a time is the most you should use your hearing aids when you first get started. 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 become more comfortable, you can use them for longer periods of time.
Get extra practice with these tips
As with any other skill (and hearing is a skill, among other things), there are some activities that can help you practice with your hearing aids. You could even have a little fun!
- Do some listening exercise: That’s right: sit in a quiet room and let your ears do the hearing. Begin by focusing on the sound of wind blowing through the trees or birds chirping or nearby running water.
- Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This is a very similar exercise (and allows you to have some fun reading while you’re at it). Your brain will learn to make associations between sounds and words by employing this read along technique.
- Watch TV with the closed-captions on: It’s easy: put your hearing aids in, flip on the TV, and watch your favorite program. As you read the words you’ll also be hearing the actors talk, and your brain will start remembering what all these words sound like. This sort of practice will help you get used to understanding speech again.
Tips to keep your hearing health up
Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the main purposes of hearing aids. But, as you take some time to get used to your new hearing aids, there are a few things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- Be certain to note and report any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So if you’re experiencing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to let us know as soon as you can.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to believe that once you have the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. This would be a bad idea. We can continue to monitor your hearing, make sure the fit is comfortable, and make any needed adjustments. These follow up visits are really important.
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 wearing your hearing aids all of the time. Everyone’s different but the slow and steady approach usually works best. You’ll want to get personalized advice from us on the best way for you to get accustomed to your new hearing aid.
Implementing 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 enrich your life.