Wearing hearing aids is not like putting on a pair of glasses. Hearing aids do not replicate how you used to hear; they amplify sounds to a level your damaged ears can hear. Everyday sounds you have not heard in years, background noise and even your voice may seem different than you remember. Many get frustrated and give up. The audiologists at Burbank Audiology put together a list of tips to help you get used to your new hearing aids.
Start Home
You’ll want to start off wearing your hearing aids at home or in other quiet environments. This gives you an opportunity to get used to hearing just a few sounds at a time.
Your voice will sound funny at first. A good way to get used to this is to read out loud or talk to your pets.
Your friends and family can also help you when you’re first starting out. Having one-on-one conversations is a great way to get your brain used to distinguishing important sounds from background noise. In addition, they can also help hold you accountable and make sure you are wearing your hearing aids when you should be.
While home, try giving yourself homework. Standing in the living room or kitchen, try to identify the source of sounds, such as the hum of an air conditioner or the tick of a wall clock.
Increase Gradually
When you first leave Burbank Audiology with your hearing aids, you’ll be instructed to start wearing them only a few hours a day. Slowly over the next few weeks, you should increase the amount of time you wear your hearing aids each day. This helps your brain relearn how to process the new sounds.
Attend the Follow-Up
Two weeks after your initial fitting, you will have a follow-up visit with your audiologist. They will review your progress and discuss any situations you experienced challenges. From there they will fine-tune and adjust your hearing aid to better fit your degree of hearing loss.
They will also adjust your hearing aids to make sure they sit comfortably in your ears. While the hearing aids may cause some slight tenderness at first, you should not experience any pain.
Getting used to your new hearing aids is a process. The hearing experts at Burbank Audiology understand this. To learn more about the hearing aid process or to schedule an appointment, contact our office today.
