People generally don’t like change. Taking this into account, there can be a double edged sword with hearing aids: they unlock an amazing new world of sounds for you, but they also signify a significant transformation of your life. That degree of change can be tricky, particularly if you’re somebody that enjoys the placid comfort of your daily routine. There are very specific hurdles with new hearing aids. But learning how to adapt to these devices can help guarantee your new hearing aids will be a change you will welcome.
Guidelines to Help You Adjust More Quickly to Your Hearing Aids
Your hearing will be dramatically enhanced whether you are getting your first hearing aids or upgrading to a more powerful model. Depending on your personal situation, that might represent a big adjustment. But your transition may be a bit easier if you follow these guidelines.
Begin Using Your Hearing Aids in Smaller Doses
As a basic rule, the more you use your hearing aids, the healthier your ears will stay. But if you’re breaking in your very first pair, wearing your hearing aids for 18 hours per day can be a little uncomfortable. You might try to build up your stamina by beginning with 8 hours and increasing 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 difficult to follow conversations or hear speech clearly. But practicing using reading or listening exercises (such as reading along to an audiobook) can help the language-hearing-and-interpreting part of your brain wake back up.
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 procedure helps adjust the device for your individual hearing loss, differences in the size and shape of your ear canal, and help improve comfort. Several adjustments might be required. It’s crucial to be serious about these fittings – and to see us for follow-up appointments. Your hearing aids will sound better and will sit more comfortably if they fit well. We can also assist you in making adjustments to different hearing conditions.
Troubleshoot
Sometimes when you first get your hearing aid something may not be working properly and it becomes difficult to adjust to it. If there’s too much feedback that can be painful. Or the hearing aid keeps falling out (which can be frustrating). These kinds of problems can make it difficult to adjust to your hearing aids, so it’s best to find solutions as early as possible. Try these guidelines:
- Consult your hearing specialist to double check that the hearing aids are correctly calibrated to your loss of hearing.
- If you hear a lot of feedback, ensure 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).
- Discuss any ringing or buzzing with your hearing professional. Sometimes, your cell phone can cause interference with your hearing aid. In other instances, it may be that we need to make some adjustments.
- Charge your hearing aids every day or exchange the batteries. When the batteries on your hearing aids begin to decrease, they often don’t work as efficiently as they’re intended to.
The Advantages of Adjusting to Your New Hearing Aids
It might take a bit of time to adjust to your new hearing aids just like it would with a new pair of glasses. We hope you will have a smoother and quicker transition with these suggestions. But if you persevere – if you get yourself into a regimen with your hearing aids and really invest in adapting to them – you’ll be pleased by how it all becomes second-nature. And once that happens, you’ll be capable of devoting your attention to the things you’re actually hearing: like the day-to-day conversation you’ve been missing out on or your favorite music. In the end, all these adjustments are well worth it. And sometimes change is not a bad thing.