It can be exhilarating to get hearing aids for the first time. You know there are sounds you haven’t heard in years, and you’re excited to have a social life and quickly understand what people are saying. But it takes time to get used to new hearing aids, so be patient with yourself during the first week or two.
Your brain needs time to catch up.
When you haven’t done anything to fix your hearing loss for a few years, your brain has missed a lot of sounds around you. You’re not used to hearing certain sounds, and your hearing centres haven’t been processing so much information.
If you haven’t done anything about your hearing loss for a long time, all this new noise can be hard to deal with. When you first plug in your new devices, you might be overwhelmed by all the sounds around you, and your brain will be working hard to figure out what it all means. Your brain has gotten used to hearing only a few sounds, so it will take you a few days to get used to all the new sounds you can hear.
Physical fit matters
One of the most critical parts of getting used to new hearing aids is how well they fit.
If the hearing aids hurt your ears, the fit must be changed immediately. You’ll know something is in your ear, but you shouldn’t feel pain or discomfort. Getting the right fit will also ensure that your hearing aids can process all the sounds around you and cut down on feedback, whistling, or ringing sounds that come from sounds that go around your hearing aids and reach your ears.
Begin slowly.
When you first get a device, you’ll be excited by all the sounds you can hear, but take your time and start slowly. Wear your devices in the peace of your living room and talk to your family. Take the dog to the park and have dinner with the family. Get used to your devices and build up to meeting friends for drinks in a busy bar.
You wouldn’t jump into the deep end of a pool before you knew how to swim. The same goes for your new devices. Your brain needs time to get used to your devices and figure out how they help you hear background noise without getting too loud.
Use your hearing aids all day long.
Your brain and ears need time to get used to your new hearing aids, so wear them all day, especially during the first week. If you get tired, take a short break, but make sure to plug your devices back in as soon as possible. By the end of the week, you should be more comfortable with your devices and the new sounds around you.
Find out about your new devices.
Your hearing health specialist will help you learn how to use your new devices and change the programs and settings based on where you are listening. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll need a few days and maybe more trips to our office to learn how to use your devices. Learn how to easily switch between programs, change the volume, and choose the correct settings for what you’re listening to.
It’s normal to have follow-up appointments.
You should go to follow-up appointments if you just bought your first hearing aids. Our team will take care of all your hearing needs, from giving you a full hearing test to recommending the best devices for your lifestyle, hearing needs, and budget.
After you get used to your new hearing aids and fall in love with them, come back to see us. We’ll make a few changes to how the devices are programmed so that you can hear clearly in every situation, and your devices will do all the work for you. Call us today if you’re having trouble getting used to your new hearing aids.