You finally 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 unclear conversations. But there’s a problem: everything sounds just a little off.
That’s because it’ll most likely take you some time to adjust to a new set of hearing aids. This can be an annoying transition. After all, there was so much you were looking forward to, and that adjustment period just feels so slow.
Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help speed up the transition process. With some practice, you can quickly get yourself to a place where you’re thinking less about your hearing aids, and paying more attention to what you’re hearing.
Start slowly with these tips
No matter how technologically sophisticated they may be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Use these tips to proceed slowly and purposely give your ears time to adapt.:
- Begin by using your hearing aids at home only: You’ll be less likely to encounter noise pollution at home and you will be able to have a better degree of control over the sounds you’re hearing. This will help you focus on individual voices.
- Start with one-on-one conversations first: You might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you use 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 cope with 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 wear your hearing aids for short amounts of time at first: A few hours at a time is the most you should use your hearing aids when you first get started. Your hearing aids will most likely feel a little weird in your ears for a while so starting slowly is okay. You can start to wear your hearing aids for longer durations as you get used to them.
Tips that help you get added practice in
Much like 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 could even have some fun!
- Use 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 get used to understanding speech again.
- Simply practice hearing: That’s right: sit in a quiet room and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds chirping outside.
- Read along with the printed book 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 technique.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Of course, one of the purposes of hearing aids is to keep your ears as healthy as possible. But, as you take some time to get accustomed to your new hearing aids, there are a few things you can do that your ears will thank you for.:
- Be sure to note and let us know about any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So it’s important to report any problems with fit or any pain right away.
- Keep visiting us: There might be a temptation to presume that once you have the right hearing aids, you won’t need to see us anymore. This would be the worst idea. We can help make adjustments to your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to keep an eye on your hearing. These follow up appointments are very important.
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. Everybody’s different but the slow and steady approach usually works best. 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.