Congratulations—you’re set to join the millions of Americans who have discovered how wearing hearing aids can make life much more satisfying and fulfilling. Before long, you’ll be listening to sounds you’ve long forgotten, participating in stimulating discussions, and listening to music with enhanced discernment for each instrument.
But before you get to all that, you’ll have to deal with a short phase of adjustment to get used to your new hearing aids. Here are five recommendations to help you push through this stage and to help you get the maximum benefit out of your new technology.
1. Consult a Hearing Care Professional
If you wish to have the best hearing attainable, there’s no avoiding the initial step, which is contacting a hearing care expert. They can help you find the right hearing aid that matches your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget. 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 unique. That means every hearing aid should be programmed differently—and this requires the expertise of a hearing care professional.
2. Be Patient with Your Hearing Aids
Your brand new hearing aids will take time to get used to. You’ll notice 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 adjust.
Start off by making a commitment to wear your hearing aids for as much of the day as possible, for at a minimum a couple of 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 initially, you’ll adjust to better hearing in no time—and it will be well worth the effort.
If you discover that you’re having a difficult time adjusting, set up a visit with your hearing care professional. Hearing aids can be fine-tuned, so you never have to give up on better hearing.
3. Start Small
We recommend adapting to your hearing aids to start with in the comfort of your home. Try watching a movie or television show and paying specific attention to the discourse; take part in one-on-one conversations in a quiet room; and listen to music while trying to identify different instruments and pitches.
Next, when you’re more comfortable, you can test your hearing aids out in more challenging conditions like at social gatherings, restaurants, and movie theaters. Modern hearing aids come with 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 adjusted to your hearing aids, you should start 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 chosen model, you’ll have the ability to do things like wirelessly stream music and phone calls directly to your hearing aids, regulate the volume from your mobile phone or digital watch, and easily switch settings to optimize your hearing in a variety of environments. Be sure to consult to your hearing specialist about all the features that might be helpful to you.
5. Care For Your Hearing Aids
Last, you’ll want to ensure that you safeguard your hearing aids. This implies daily cleaning, appropriate storage, and managing your battery supply. Your hearing specialist will show you how to integrate 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 examined one or two times a year to ensure proper functioning for years to come.
We’d like to hear from you: if you presently wear hearing aids, tell us about your experience! Let us know how you adjusted to your hearing aids and any recommendations you’d give to those just starting out.