Congratulations—you’re set to join the millions of Americans who have learned how utilizing hearing aids can make life more enjoyable and rewarding. Very soon, you’ll be hearing sounds you’ve long forgotten about, engaging in stimulating discussions, and listening to music with greater perceptiveness for each instrument.
But before you get to all that, you’ll have to endure a short phase of adjustment to get used to your new hearing aids. Here are five recommendations to to assist you to push through this stage and to help you get the most out of your new technology.
1. Consult a Hearing Care Professional
If you want the best hearing possible, there’s no way around the first step, which is visiting a hearing care expert. They can assist you in finding the most suitable hearing aid that matches your hearing loss, lifestyle, and financial position. And, most of all, they can custom-fit and program your new hearing aid so that it’s optimized for your distinctive hearing loss.
Your hearing loss, like a fingerprint, is one-of-a-kind. That means every hearing aid should always be programmed differently—and this requires the skill-set of a hearing care professional.
2. Be Patient with Your Hearing Aids
Your brand new hearing aids will take some getting used to. You’ll detect sounds you haven’t listened to in a while, your voice may sound unusual, and sound may in general just seem “off.” This is perfectly ordinary: you simply need time to adapt.
Start off by making a commitment to wear your hearing aids for as much of the day as possible, for at least a couple of weeks. Put them in when you get up in the morning and take them out before going to bed. Although it may be uncomfortable at first, you’ll adjust to better hearing in no time—and it will be well worth the effort and hard work.
If you find that you’re having problems adjusting, set up an appointment with your hearing care professional. Hearing aids can be fine-tuned, so you never have to give up on better hearing.
3. Start Small at Home
We suggest adjusting to your hearing aids to start with in the comfort of your home. Try watching a movie or TV show and paying particular attention to the dialogue; take part in one-on-one conversations in a quiet space; and listen to music while trying to pick out various instruments and pitches.
Then, when you’re more accustomed, you can try your hearing aids out in more challenging surroundings like at social gatherings, restaurants, and movie theaters. Modern hearing aids have advanced features and environmental settings that can easily handle these increased listening demands—which segues nicely to the fourth tip.
4. Learn the Advanced Features
After you’ve adapted to your hearing aids, you should begin to learn a few of the more sophisticated features. With the help of your hearing specialist, you can discover how to capitalize on the functionality and convenience of your modern hearing aids.
Depending on your particular model, you’ll have the ability to do things like wirelessly stream music and phone calls directly to your hearing aids, control the volume from your smart-phone or digital watch, and effortlessly switch settings to optimize your hearing in different environments. Make sure to consult to your hearing specialist about all the features that may be helpful to you.
5. Maintain Your Hearing Aids
Last, you’ll want to ensure that you care for your hearing aids. This means daily cleaning, proper storage, and managing your battery supply. Your hearing professional will show you how to integrate hearing aid maintenance and care into your daily routine so that it becomes automatic and effortless.
You’ll also want to get your hearing aids professionally cleaned and examined once or twice a year to ensure proper performance for many years.
We’d love to hear from you: if you presently wear hearing aids, tell us about your experience! Let us know how you adjusted to your hearing aids and any advice you’d give to those just getting started.