As a basic rule, most people don’t like change. Taking this into account, there can be a double edged sword with hearing aids: they open up an amazing new world of sounds for you, but they also signify a significant transformation of your life. If your a person who likes a very fixed routine, the change can be difficult. There are very specific challenges with new hearing aids. But knowing how to adapt to these devices can help make sure your new hearing aids will be a change you will welcome.
Here Are Some Quick Ways to Adapt to Your New Hearing Aids
Whether it’s your first pair of hearing aids (congrats!) or an upgrade to a more robust set, any new hearing aid will be a considerable enhancement to how you hear. Dependant on your personal situation, that may be a big adjustment. Following these guidelines might make your transition a little more comfortable.
Begin Wearing Your Hearing Aids in Smaller Doses
As a general rule, the more you wear your hearing aids, the healthier your ears will stay. But if you’re breaking in your very first pair, using your devices for 18 hours a day can be somewhat uncomfortable. You might try to build up your endurance by beginning with 8 hours and building up from there.
Practice Listening to Conversations
When you first begin wearing your hearing aids, your brain will probably need some time to become accustomed to the concept that it’s able to hear sounds again. During this adjustment period, it may be difficult to follow conversations or hear speech clearly. But if you want to reset the hearing-language-and-interpreting portion of your brain, you can try practicing exercises such as reading along with an audiobook.
Get a Fitting For Your Hearing Aids
Even before you get your final hearing aids, one of the first things you will do – is go through a fitting process. Enhancing comfort, taking account of the size and shape of your ear canal, and adjusting for your personal hearing loss are all things that a fitting can help with. Several adjustments might be required. It’s essential to come see us for follow-up appointments and to take these fittings seriously. When your hearing aids fit properly, your devices will sit more comfortably and sound better. Adjustments to various conditions can also be made by us.
Troubleshoot
Sometimes adapting to a new hearing aid is a bit difficult because something’s not working quite right. If there’s too much feedback that can be painful. Or perhaps the hearing aid keeps cutting out (which can be frustrating). It can be overwhelming to adjust to hearing aids because of these types of issues, so it’s best to find solutions as soon as possible. Try these tips:
- Charge your hearing aids every night or exchange the batteries. When the batteries on your hearing aids begin to decline, they normally do not perform as efficiently as they’re intended to.
- If you notice a lot of feedback, make sure that your hearing aids are properly seated in your ears (it might be that your fit is just a little off) and that there aren’t any obstructions (earwax for instance).
- Talk over any ringing or buzzing with your hearing expert. Occasionally, your cell phone will cause interference with your hearing aid. In other cases, it could be that we need to make some adjustments.
- Ask your hearing specialist to double check that the hearing aids are correctly calibrated to your loss of hearing.
Adapting to Your New Hearing Aids Has Its Advantages
Just as it could with new glasses, it might take you a little bit of time to get used to your new hearing aids. We hope you will have an easier and faster transition with these recommendations. But you will be pleased by how simple it will become if you stay with it and find a routine. And once that happens, you’ll be capable of devoting your attention to the things you’re actually hearing: like your favorite programs or music or the daily conversations you’ve missed. Ultimately all these adjustments will be well worth it. And change is good.