Congratulations—you’re prepared to join the millions of Americans who have learned how wearing hearing aids can make life more enjoyable and rewarding. Very soon, you’ll be hearing sounds you’ve long forgotten, participating in stimulating conversations, and listening to music with greater discernment for each instrument.
But before you can get to all that, you’ll have to undergo a brief phase of adjustment to get comfortable with your new hearing aids. Here are five tips to help you push through this stage and to help you get the most out of your new technology.
1. Consult a Hearing Care Professional
If you wish to have the best hearing possible, there’s no avoiding the first step, which is visiting a hearing care expert. They can help you find the proper hearing aid that corresponds with your hearing loss, lifestyle, and financial position. And, most importantly, they can custom-fit and program your new hearing aid so that it’s fine tuned for your distinctive hearing loss.
Your hearing loss, like a fingerprint, is unique. That means every hearing aid should be programmed differently—and this calls for the practical knowledge of a hearing care professional.
2. Be Patient with Your Hearing Aids
Your new hearing aids will take some getting used to. You’ll detect sounds you haven’t listened to in some time, your voice may sound unusual, and sound may on the whole just seem “off.” This is completely normal: you simply need time to adapt.
Start off by making a commitment to wear your hearing aids for as much of the day as possible, for a minimum of a few weeks. Put them in when you get up in the morning and take them out before going to bed. Even though it may be uncomfortable at first, you’ll get used to better hearing in no time—and it will be well worth the effort and hard work.
If you discover that you’re having difficulties adjusting, arrange a visit with your hearing care professional. Hearing aids can be fine-tuned, so you never have to quit on better hearing.
3. Start Small
We suggest adapting to your hearing aids to start with in the comfort of your home. Attempt watching a movie or television show and paying specific attention to the conversation; engage in one-on-one conversations in a quiet room; and listen to music while attempting to pick out different instruments and pitches.
Then, when you’re more comfortable, you can try your hearing aids out in more challenging conditions like at parties, restaurants, and movie theaters. Modern hearing aids have advanced features and environmental settings that can effortlessly handle these increased listening demands—which segues nicely to the fourth tip.
4. Learn the Advanced Features
After you’ve adjusted to your hearing aids, you should continue to learn a few of the more sophisticated features. With the assistance of your hearing specialist, you can learn how to maximize the functionality and convenience of your modern hearing aids.
Depending on your particular model, you’ll be able to do things like wirelessly stream music and phone calls directly to your hearing aids, control the volume from your mobile phone or digital watch, and easily switch settings to optimize your hearing in different environments. Be sure to speak to your hearing specialist about all the features that might be helpful to you.
5. Take Care Of Your Hearing Aids
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that you care for your hearing aids. This means daily cleaning, proper 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 easy.
You’ll also want to get your hearing aids professionally cleaned and evaluated once or twice annually to ensure proper functioning for years to come.
We’d like to hear from you: if you presently have hearing aids, tell us about your experience! Let us know how you adjusted to your hearing aids and any advice you’d give to those just getting started.