People generally don’t like change. Taking this into consideration, there can be a double edged sword regarding hearing aids: your life will undergo a huge change but they also will bring exciting new opportunities. If your somebody who likes a very rigid routine, the change can be overwhelming. There are very specific challenges with new hearing aids. But making this change a positive one is mostly about learning how to adjust to these devices.
Tips to Help You Adapt More Quickly to Your Hearing Aids
Your hearing will be considerably improved whether you are getting your first hearing aids or upgrading to a more powerful design. Dependant on your individual circumstances, that could represent quite an adjustment. But your transition might be a bit easier if you follow these guidelines.
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 be. But if you’re breaking in your very first pair, wearing your hearing aids for 18 hours a day can be somewhat unpleasant. You could start by trying to wear your hearing aids for 8 hours at a time, and then gradually build up your endurance.
Practice Tuning in to Conversations
When your brain is first able to hear sound again it will likely need an adjustment period. During this transition period, it may be tough to follow conversations or hear speech with clarity. But if you want to reset the hearing-language-and-interpreting portion of your brain, you can try practicing exercises like reading along with an audiobook.
Get a Fitting For Your Hearing Aids
Even before you get your final hearing aid, one of the first things you will have to do – is go through a fitting process. The fitting process helps adjust the device for your individual loss of hearing, differences in the shape and size of your ear canal, and help improve comfort. More than one adjustment could be needed. It’s crucial to be serious about these fittings – and to see us for follow-up appointments. When your hearing aids fit well, your hearing aids will sit more comfortably and sound better. We can also assist you in making adjustments to various hearing conditions.
Troubleshoot
Sometimes adjusting to a new hearing aid is somewhat difficult because something’s not working properly. If there’s too much feedback that can be painful. It can also be infuriating when the hearing aid keeps falling out. These types of issues can make it difficult to adjust to your hearing aids, so it’s a good idea to find solutions as early as possible. Try these tips:
- talk about any ringing or buzzing with your hearing professional. Occasionally, your cell phone will cause interference with your hearing aid. In other situations, it could be that we need to make some adjustments.
- If you hear a lot of feedback, make sure that your hearing aids are correctly sitting in your ears (it could be that your fit is just a bit off) and that there aren’t any blockages (earwax for instance).
- Charge your hearing aids every night or exchange the batteries. When the batteries on your hearing aids begin to diminish, they often don’t perform as effectively as they’re meant to.
- Ask your hearing specialist to be certain that the hearing aids are correctly calibrated to your loss of hearing.
The Benefits of Adapting to Your New Hearing Aids
Just as it would with a new pair of glasses, it will probably take you a bit of time to adjust to your new hearing aids. Hopefully, you will have an easier and faster transition with these recommendations. But if you persevere – if you get yourself into a routine with your hearing aids and really invest in adjusting to them – you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it all becomes easy. But before long you will be able to place your attention on what your hearing: like the day-to-day discussion you’ve been missing or your favorite music. These sounds will remind you that all those adjustments are worth it ultimately. And change is good.