4 Tips for Adjusting to Hearing Aids

As a first-time hearing aid wearer, your life is about to be changed for the better. You will hear things you didn’t realize you were missing, gain more confidence in yourself, and in many cases, lead a much more positive life than you did before.

However, that’s not to say that wearing a hearing aid is an easy adjustment to make. In some cases, it can be a little confusing and there is a learning curve to get used to. The good news is that your audiologist can solve most problems and some of the most common issues can be taken care of quickly. Let’s take a closer look at four critical tips to adjusting to hearing aids.

Be patient

First and foremost, wearing hearing aids is not like wearing glasses. It takes a lot more time for your ears to adjust to an aid than it does for your sight to improve with spectacles – which happens almost instantly. The simple truth is that you have to be patient. Your brain needs to relearn how to listen to and identify the sounds it has forgotten, and there is an element of comfort to consider, too. It may feel a little peculiar walking around with aids in your ears, so keep this in mind and give it a few days – possibly a couple of weeks – before your new device feels completely comfortable.

Lower your voice

If you have been without a good sense of hearing for some time, you may have experienced being told to quiet down a little. Of course, when you cannot hear correctly, the reality is that you end up talking louder. So, regulating your volume of speech is something that you might need to practice when you first get your hearing aid. An excellent way to do this is to read aloud to yourself – not only will it help you to talk at a more suitable volume, but it will also teach you how to recognize specific words.

Get help

It is likely that your loved ones, family and friends will be as ecstatic as you are about your new hearing aid. And you should lean on their support as you get used to the device, too. Start with practicing speaking one-to-one, and then bring a few more people into the equation by speaking in small groups. It can make a big difference in a couple of significant ways. First of all, friends and family will be good for your confidence, and secondly, your brain will recognize familiar voices more easily than a stranger’s.

Celebrate your wins

Finally, it’s a good idea to discuss some kind of plan with your audiologist. Developing small-term goals – and achieving them – will help you feel like you are making steady progress. It will also help you in being realistic about what your aids can do – and how to overcome the minor issues that can arise with sound quality. Slow and steady will always win the race, and you should celebrate every victory on the road to improving your hearing.