Tips for Adjusting to New Hearing Aids

Congratulations! You’ve been fitted for new hearing aids and are now starting on an exciting journey. Studies have shown that hearing aids can improve your quality of life.

The transition to new hearing aids can be a bit of an adjustment but the benefits of being able take part in all life has to offer is a great boost for your confidence, social life and work!

It will normally take between 4 to 6 weeks to fully adapt to your new hearing aids but with perseverance and time they can be a seamless routine for life. Here are some tips for adjusting to your new hearing aids.

Since hearing loss is often gradual, one must keep in mind that the brain has altered the way it has processed sound to adjust to the changes. Using hearing aids can be a drastic adjustment simply because one has to readjust to hearing so much volume, clarity, or noises again. It can be a disorienting experience in the beginning but don’t shy away!

Start with wearing your hearing aids for short periods at a time then as you grow more used to hearing more sounds you can wear them for longer.

Try not to dive headfirst and wear hearing aids at a rock concert. Start with listening to quieter sounds like birds singing, foot steps and background noise around you. Some sounds may be harsher, tinnier or louder than you were used to and can easily be overwhelming.

By starting slow and quiet, your brain can get used to the new range of sounds and eventually what was once too much to hear is more bearable. Try not to fiddle with your volume control too much and don’t forget you can adjust your settings to best suit your hearing needs.

You can also recruit friends and family to help you adjust your hearing aids settings so it works best for you. If you feel that your hearing aids aren’t fitting comfortably, pay a visit to your audiologist so they can check and make the proper adjustments.

One of the best ways get used to your new hearing aids is through conversations, especially with the familiar voices of our friends and family. By having conversations with the most familiar voices, you are helping re-train your brain to process and understand conversations.

If it helps, start in a controlled environment with one speaker in a quiet room. Face the person you are talking to so you can also read lips and body language to help comprehend the conversation. This will help your brain actively process sounds and re-build bridges to start engaging in a full range of hearing.

The other advantage of using your hearing aids in conversations is so you can also get used to the sound of your own voice again. Having to hear your own voice can also be disorienting experience.

To aid with that adjustment, it’s recommended that one spend some time reading aloud to oneself. Additionally, as you adjust to your hearing aids, you may not be aware if you are speaking too loudly or softly to be understood. In such cases, ask your friends and family to let you know if your speaking volume is appropriate.

Maybe one of the biggest adjustments for one with new hearing aids is the sudden awareness of all the background noise! For many, background noises are one of the most common sounds one may not hear with hearing loss.

While these sounds may not be louder than expected, take time to listen to the different sound patterns around you. This also will help re-train your brain to normalize to all the environmental sounds.

Keep in mind that you may hear some of the high-pitched tones or tinny sounds as louder or sharper than normal. Because high pitches are usually one of the first sound ranges lost, the reappearance can be annoying but should go away with time.

While there are many things to readjust to the more you become comfortable with your hearing aids, take further steps to re-immerse yourself in other situations!

Wear your hearing aids while driving, when you go to the bank, out to a social event or maybe even to a noisy restaurant. This will build your confidence and eventually help reintegrate back into all of life’s situations both quiet and noisy.

Enjoy the journey! Contact us at Advanced Tech Hearing for assistance and support.