Congratulations—you’re prepared to join the millions of Americans who have found out how utilizing hearing aids can make life much more exciting and fulfilling. Soon enough, you’ll be hearing sounds you’ve long forgotten, engaging in stimulating discussions, and listening to music with better discernment for each instrument.
But before you get to all that, you’ll have to proceed through a quick phase of adjustment to get used to your new hearing aids. Here are five recommendations to to assist you to push through this period and to help you get the most out of your new technology.
1. Visit a Hearing Care Professional
If you want the best hearing attainable, there’s no way around the initial step, which is visiting a hearing care professional. They can assist you in finding the ideal hearing aid that matches your hearing loss, lifestyle, and financial position. And, most significantly, they can custom-fit and program your new hearing aid so that it’s optimized for your distinctive hearing loss.
Your hearing loss, like a fingerprint, is one-of-a-kind. That means every hearing aid should always be programmed differently—and this requires the practical knowledge of a hearing care professional.
2. Be Patient with Your Hearing Aids
Your new hearing aids will take time to get used to. You’ll detect sounds you haven’t heard in a long time, your voice may sound unusual, and sound may on the whole just seem “off.” This is perfectly normal: you simply need time to adapt.
Start by making a commitment to wear your hearing aids for as much of the day as possible, for at a minimum a few weeks. Put them in when you wake up and take them out before bed. Even though it may be uncomfortable initially, you’ll get used to better hearing in no time—and it will be well worth the effort.
If you discover that you’re having problems adjusting, schedule an appointment with your hearing care professional. Hearing aids can be fine-tuned, so you never have to quit on better hearing.
3. Start Small at Home
We suggest adapting to your hearing aids at first in the comfort of your home. Try watching a movie or television show and paying particular attention to the dialogue; engage in one-on-one conversations in a quiet space; and listen to music while trying to identify different instruments and pitches.
Next, when you’re more accustomed, you can try your hearing aids out in more challenging surroundings like at parties, restaurants, and movie theaters. Modern hearing aids have sophisticated features and environmental settings that can effortlessly handle these increased listening demands—which segues nicely to the fourth tip.
4. Master the Advanced Features
After you’ve adapted to your hearing aids, you should continue to learn a few of the more sophisticated features. With the help of your hearing specialist, you can discover how to take advantage of the functionality and convenience of your modern hearing aids.
Depending on your specific model, you’ll be able to do things like wirelessly stream music and phone calls straight to your hearing aids, control the volume from your mobile phone or digital watch, and easily change settings to optimize your hearing in a variety of environments. Make sure to consult to your hearing specialist about all the features that might be beneficial to you.
5. Maintain Your Hearing Aids
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that you maintain your hearing aids. This implies daily cleaning, appropriate storage, and managing your battery supply. Your hearing professional will show you how to include hearing aid maintenance and care into your daily routine so that it becomes automatic and effortless.
You’ll also want to get your hearing aids professionally cleaned and assessed one or two times a year to ensure proper functioning for years to come.
We’d love to hear from you: if you currently wear hearing aids, tell us about your experience! Let us know how you adapted to your hearing aids and any tips you’d give to those just getting started.