People generally don’t like change. Taking this into account, there can be a double edged sword with hearing aids: they create an exciting new world of sounds for you, but they also represent a significant transformation of your life. That degree of change can be a challenge, particularly if you’re somebody that has come to embrace the placid convenience of your daily routine. New hearing aids can present a few distinct challenges. But making this change a positive one is primarily about learning how to adjust to these devices.
Here Are Some Quick Suggestion to Adjust to Your New Hearing Aids
Whether it’s your first pair of hearing aids (congrats!) or an upgrade to a more robust set, any new hearing aid is going to be a significant improvement to the way you hear. Dependant on your personal circumstances, that might represent quite an adjustment. Following these guidelines might make your transition a bit more comfortable.
When You First Get Your Hearing Aids Only Use Them Intermittently
The more you use your hearing aids, as a general rule, the healthier your ears will stay. But if you’re breaking in your very first pair, using your hearing aids for 18 hours a day can be a little unpleasant. You could begin by trying to wear your hearing aids for 8 hours at a time, and then gradually build up your endurance.
Listen to Conversations For Practice
When you first start wearing your hearing aids, your brain will probably need a little bit of time to get accustomed to the concept that it can hear sounds again. During this transition period, it might be difficult to follow conversations or make out speech with clarity. But if you want to reset the hearing-language-and-interpreting part of your brain, you can try doing techniques such as following along with an audiobook.
Have Your Hearing Aids Fitted
Even before you get your final hearing aid, one of the first things you will have to do – is go through a fitting process. Enhancing comfort, taking account of the shape of your ear canal, and adjusting for your personal hearing loss are all things that a fitting can help with. You might need to have more than one adjustment. It’s imperative to be serious about these fittings – and to consult us for follow-up appointments. Your device will sound more natural and will sit more comfortably if they fit well. We can also assist you in making adjustments to various hearing conditions.
Troubleshoot
Sometimes when you first purchase your hearing aid something may not be working right and it becomes hard to adjust to it. If there is too much feedback that can be uncomfortable. It can also be infuriating when the hearing aid keeps falling out. It can be overwhelming to adjust to hearing aids because of these types of issues, so it’s best to find solutions as early as possible. Try these tips:
- If you hear a lot of feedback, make sure that your hearing aids are properly seated in your ears (it might be that your fit is just a little off) and that there are no blockages (earwax for instance).
- Charge your hearing aids every day or replace the batteries. When the batteries on your hearing aids begin to diminish, they often do not perform as effectively as they’re intended to.
- Talk over any buzzing or ringing with your hearing expert. Occasionally, your cell phone will cause interference with your hearing aid. In other cases, it could be that we need to make some adjustments.
- Consult your hearing professional to be sure that the hearing aids are correctly calibrated to your loss of hearing.
Adapting to Your New Hearing Aids Has It’s Benefits
It could take a little time to adjust to your new hearing aids just as it would with new glasses. Ideally you will have a smoother and quicker transition with these suggestions. But if you stay with it – if you get yourself into a routine with your hearing aids and really invest in adapting to them – you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it all becomes second-nature. But before long you will be able to place your attention on what your listening to: like your favorite shows or music or the daily interactions you’ve missed. These sounds will remind you that all those adjustments are worth it ultimately. And change is good.