Getting Used to Your Hearing Aid: Tips and Tricks

1. Getting Used to Your Hearing Aid: Tips and Tricks Premium Hearing aids can greatly help you hear well on your own again. However, you will only fully enjoy the benefits they provide if you are already accustomed to wearing them. Getting used to wearing a basic hearing aid and hearing with it can take time. The time needed to get adjusted to new advanced hearing aids is quite subjective. It often depends on the severity of your hearing problem, the number of months or years you have been experiencing hearing loss, and the quality of the hearing aid you choose. On average, it can take as much as four months for a new user to get fully get adjusted to his hearing device. If this seems too long for you, check out the tips and tricks we have below that can help make your transition quicker and easier. Follow your audiologist’s instruction Your specialist or audiologist will mostly give you the basics you need to know about your new device like how to change the hearing aid batteries, what hearing aid accessories you need, care and maintenance instructions, how to use it, and how often you need to wear it. Listen to the instructions provided by your audiologist and follow them religiously.

2. Get to know your hearing aid first The first step to adjusting to your new intermediate hearing aids is to get to know them first. Aside from knowing the different parts of your hearing device and their specific functions, try to study the sounds you hear using your device. The best way to do this is to stay in a quiet place or your room. Study the faint sounds you hear like your breathing, the ticking of the clock, shallowing, chewing, or the sound of your footstep. Once you get used to these faint sounds, try studying the noises and sounds in a more challenging environment. If you’ve lost your hearing for years already, your brain may need to process the sound captured and eventually adjust to it. Write down everything you observe especially those sounds that seem so bothersome for you. You can then present your notes to your ear doctor the next time you take online hearing test or visit the clinic. Study different voices One of the biggest challenges you may encounter is getting used to your voice and its volume. Note that even the best hearing aids can’t replicate how you used to hear things

3. around you before you lost your ability to hear. Your voice may sound unfamiliar, loud, and funny. It may be quite disturbing at first but you will get used to it in time. Practice with friends and family Also to study the voices of your family members and friends. Do it gradually. Ask them to help you practice by engaging in conversations with you at different tones, volumes, and vocal intensity. Encourage them to do nonverbal body language as they speak to make it easier for your brain to process the information and reconnect the dots between the body language, sounds, and vocal patterns. Take your time Don’t push yourself into getting used to your new hearing aid too fast. Doing so will only cause you some trouble. Your brain needs to adjust to the new sounds and associate them with certain things. Instead, take your time adjusting. It is best to wear your hearing device just a few hours a day. Then gradually increase the time of usage as you progress.