4 Tips to Adjust to Hearing Aids

If you’ve been struggling to make sense of the world of late because you can’t hear people talking or you find it virtually impossible to keep track of conversations when there’s background noise, getting used to a hearing aid can take time. Suddenly, after a period of coping with muffled noise and straining to hear, you find yourself in a situation where sounds are a lot clearer and louder. If you’re wearing hearing aids for the first time, here are 4 top tips to help you adjust to your new devices.

1. Working with your audiologist

If you have hearing problems and your audiologist recommends wearing hearing aids, make use of the consultations you have with them. After analyzing the results of your hearing tests, your audiologist will explain the findings to you and then explore treatment options, including hearing aids. If you choose to go ahead and start using hearing aids, your audiologist will take you through the different types and once you’ve decided which kind to go for, they will show you how they work and how to look after them. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your audiologist for more information or tips. It’s essential that you feel confident about using your hearing aids and that you understand how to get the best out of them at home.

2. Go steady

When you first get your hearing aids, it’s wise to ease yourself in gently. There’s often a significant period of time between the start of hearing decline and wearing hearing aids. If you’ve been used to a world where sounds are faint, being catapulted into an environment where everything is much louder and more intense can be a little unsettling. Start by wearing your hearing aids for spells and taking a break from time and time and adjust the volume to enable you to get used to wearing your hearing aids. As you become more comfortable, you can turn the volume up a bit.

3. Wear your hearing aids every day

Most of us encounter a range of different settings and situations on a daily basis. When you’ve got hearing aids, it’s beneficial to try them out in different scenarios, for example, in face-to-face meetings, and on the phone, to allow your ears to adjust. At first, you may find that the sound of your own voice seems odd. Practice reading aloud to enable you to get used to that sound.

4. Be patient

It can take time to get used to wearing hearing aids, so don’t worry or get angry if you struggle slightly during the first couple of days. Be patient, give yourself time to adjust and soon, you won’t even notice that they’re there.

Have you recently started wearing hearing aids or are you due to pick up your new hearing aids from your audiologist in the coming weeks? If so, it’s worth bearing in mind that there will be an adjustment period. Don’t panic if your hearing aids don’t feel perfect right away. Take a few days to try them out, wear them in different settings and don’t hesitate to contact your audiologist if you have any queries or concerns.