Despite popular misconceptions, hearing aids don’t work the same way as glasses. Losing your hearing is gradual, and regaining those sounds takes time.
So getting used to your hearing aid can take a while.
You may have worn a hearing aid for a long time, but you decided it was time to get a better one. Because each line of hearing aids uses its own mix of technologies and designs, you should give yourself, and your new hearing aids some time to get used to each other. This is also true if you change brands or models.
But don’t worry! In time you’ll be able to communicate, talk, and enjoy the range of sounds life offers. Here are a few tips to help ease that transition, whether this is your first hearing aid or not.
Have patience.
The ear and brain work together in a complicated, harmonious way to ensure that the sounds you hear get to your brain correctly. As hearing loss gets worse over time, these ways of getting messages across become harder to use. Think about your favorite place to go hiking. If no one walked on it for a long time, it would get overgrown, and it would be hard to find your way.
It just takes time and patience to change the relationship between your ear, a receiver, and the translational receptors in your brain. Give it a few weeks or months to slowly come back to life. And if the sound, which has been muted for a long time, feels like too much, take a break to regain your balance. In this case, time and consistency go a long way.
Have your hearing professional on speed dial.
Don’t be afraid to ask us questions or bring up things that worry you during and after your fitting. This is precisely why a good professional in hearing health is there to help you through this process. And trust us when we say they’ve already heard it all! If you’re thinking about something or having a problem, chances are they’ve seen it before and know how to fix it.
Choose the best settings for you.
Fine-tuning the volume is probably the most common change you’ll make to your hearing aids. Of course, this is rarely a “set it and forget it.” Getting used to your new hearing aids takes time and practice, including figuring out which settings work best for you in different listening situations.
Even though many of the best technologies can adapt automatically to different listening environments, there will be times when you’ll need to do this yourself.
There are several ways to do this. One has to make the change on the hearing aid itself. Having a wireless remote is a valuable thing to have. These are small enough to fit in your pocket, and the big buttons make it easy to change the volume without making a mistake. And you can change the volume or the music you’re listening to while it looks like you’re just checking for a text message.
Lastly, tech-savvy people can set up a smartphone app with all the adjustments they might want to make to how they listen. Apps fit right into the life of someone who uses their iPhone or Android device for most of their business.
It’s up to you to figure out how to use your hearing aids best. Always be honest with yourself and your hearing health professional about how you usually use your hearing aid. If you’ve never opened a smartphone app, the best way to change your settings is with an analog knob or a remote. There is no correct answer; only the answer that fits your habits is correct.
Practice makes perfect with new hearing aids.
The most important thing you can learn from getting used to hearing aids is probably that practice makes perfect. Bring your patience when you go out with your new hearing aids into a world where sounds can change quickly and out of the blue. In time, you and your hearing aid will work together so well that it will feel like you were meant to be together.
We are here to help if you have any questions or concerns about your new hearing aids. If you’re ready to start your hearing treatment journey, contact us today to set up an appointment!