How to Adjust to New Hearing Aids

When your hearing ability isn’t as good as it used to be, you may notice that your quality of life declines. But this isn’t something that you have to simply accept and live with, because hearing aids can give you the gift of hearing back again. It’s important to understand a little about wearing your new hearing aid before you dive on in. And so, it’s a good idea to know what to expect before you begin. During your appointments with your audiologist, they will be able to give you some advice. But here are some additional tips to help you adjust to your new devices.

Take your time

Now, one of the most important things for you to do here is to take your time. Because when you first get your hearing aid, you may notice that you’re sensitive to the sounds that you weren’t hearing before. So don’t rush and try not to get frustrated with yourself. It can take a while to adjust to sounds and even hearing your own voice. So, be patient and tell yourself that it may take time. It’s important to familiarize yourself with background sounds before you take on too much. Perhaps starting with a few hours a day to begin with is a good idea. And don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you though.

Start off slowly

When you’re ready, you may find that using hearing aids for the first time is best done in a quiet room. Try not to rush and rest if you’re getting overwhelmed. It’s important to go at your own pace. It may also help you to educate yourself on hearing aids a little more – and remember not to play around too much with the volume at first. Just listen and go from there.

Introduce new sounds

When you’ve gotten used to the natural sounds around you, you might then want to practice around groups of people to list. Then, indulge in conversation. You can also slowly introduce the sounds of the TV, radio, and audiobooks when you’re ready. Reading aloud to yourself can help here too.

Practice makes perfect

Remember that practice makes perfect. So here, you need to just keep trying. When you’re ready, you may also want to try talking on the phone – but be careful. You may also want to think about connecting to looping systems if your hearing aid has a telecoil. Speak to your audiologist to find out.

Seek support

Finally, when it comes to adjusting to wearing hearing aids, you may find that getting support from your loved ones is just so important. Because this can be a frustrating time for you, and that little helping hand can be soothing. Asking your loved ones to adjust volumes or practice with you can be a great idea. And, don’t forget, there is always your audiologist to consult if you have any questions.