You finally obtained your new hearing aids. You’re finally going to be able to get back into the groove of your social life again. Now, you won’t be missing parts of conversations or going through awkward transitions. But there’s a problem: everything sounds just a little off.
That’s because it’ll likely take you some time to adjust to a new pair of hearing aids. Sometimes, this transition can be frustrating. You were so excited about enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.
But there are some tips you can use to minimize this transition period. Pretty soon, with a bit of practice, you will be focusing on what you’re hearing instead of your hearing aids.
Tips that help you start Slowly
Regardless of how technologically sophisticated they might be, it’s going to take your brain a little while to adjust to hearing certain sounds again. Here are a few ways you can intentionally give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:
- Only wear your hearing aids for short periods of time at first: When you’re just starting, you can practice by using your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time. They might feel a little uncomfortable at first (this is normal), so it’s okay to start slowly. You can start to use your hearing aids for longer periods as you get used to them.
- Wear your hearing aids only around the house initially: 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.
- At first, try to focus on one-on-one conversations: You could be setting yourself up for frustration if you use your hearing aids in a noisy environment right out of the box. When the brain has to focus on all those voices, it can get overloaded at first. Staying with one-on-one conversations can help make that transition smoother (and give you a little extra practice, as well).
Tips that help you get extra practice in
Similar to 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 may even have a little fun!
- Listen to an audiobook while you read the printed book: This is a very similar exercise (and lets you have some fun reading while you’re at it). Reading and listening to an audiobook concurrently will help your brain make connections between words and sound.
- Use closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: Turn on the TV, 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 type of practice will help you get used to hearing speech again.
- Just practice hearing: That’s right: Go somewhere a little quiet and experience the sounds around you. You can practice by focusing on trying to hear the refrigerator running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds chirping outside.
Improve your hearing health with these tips
Keeping your ears as healthy as you can, 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.:
- 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 adjust your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. It’s important to continue with these follow up visits.
- Be sure to take note of and report any pain: Because it shouldn’t be painful 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 increase your time as you get used to your hearing aids
Working your way up to using your hearing aids full time is the goal here. A slow and steady approach is often effective, but everyone’s unique. Learning the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can help you with.
Implementing these tips (and tips like them) can help ensure that you enjoy having your hearing aids and that you keep wearing them because they continue to enhance your life.