People generally don’t like change. Taking this into account, there can be a double edged sword regarding hearing aids: your life will experience a huge change but they also will allow exciting new opportunities. That amount of change can be challenging, specifically if you’re somebody that enjoys the quiet comfort of your regular routine. New hearing aids can present some particular challenges. But learning how to adapt to these devices can help guarantee your new hearing aids will be a change you will welcome.
Tips to Help You Adapt More Quickly to Your Hearing Aids
Whether it’s your first set of hearing aids (congrats!) or an improvement to a more robust set, any new hearing aid is going to be a considerable enhancement to how you hear. That could be challenging depending on your situation. But your transition might be a bit easier if you follow these tips.
Start Using Your Hearing Aids in Smaller Doses
As a general rule, the more you wear your hearing aids, the healthier your ears will be. But if you’re breaking in your very first pair, using your devices for 18 hours a day can be somewhat unpleasant. You might try to build up your endurance by starting with 8 hours and building up from there.
Practice Listening to Conversations
When your brain first begins to hear sound again it will most likely need an adjustment period. During this transition period, it may be tough 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 practicing techniques like 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. The fitting process helps adjust the device for your individual hearing loss, differences in the shape and size of your ear canal, and help maximize comfort. Several adjustments could be needed. It’s crucial to come see us for follow-up appointments and to take these fittings seriously. Your device will sound better and will sit more comfortably if they fit well. Adjustments to different conditions can also be done by us.
Troubleshoot
Sometimes when you first get your hearing aid something may not be working properly and it becomes hard to adjust to it. If there is too much feedback that can be painful. It can also be frustrating when the hearing aid keeps cutting out. It can be hard to adjust to hearing aids because of these types of issues, so it’s a good idea to find solutions as early as possible. Try these guidelines:
- Consult your hearing expert to be certain that the hearing aids are properly calibrated to your hearing loss.
- If you hear a lot of feedback, ensure that your hearing aids are correctly sitting in your ears (it might be that your fit is just a little off) and that there aren’t any blockages (earwax for instance).
- Discuss any buzzing or ringing with your hearing expert. At times, your cell phone will cause interference with your hearing aid. In other cases, it may be that we have to make some adjustments.
- Charge your hearing aids every night or replace the batteries. When the batteries on your hearing aids begin to decrease, they normally do not work as efficiently as they’re meant to.
Adjusting to Your New Hearing Aids Has Its Advantages
It may take a bit of time to adapt to your new hearing aids just as it would with new glasses. Hopefully, you will have a smoother and quicker transition with these guidelines. But you will be pleased by how natural it will become if you stay with it and find a routine. And once that takes place, you’ll be able to devote your attention to the things you’re actually listening to: like your favorite programs or music or the daily conversations you’ve been missing. Ultimately all these adjustments will be well worth it. And sometimes change is not a bad thing.
