It takes some time to get used to wearing new hearing aids, especially if you haven’t ever worn them before. Not only do you need to learn how they work, but your brain is being reintroduced to stimuli and sounds it’s forgotten about. Sometimes, even your own voice will sound funny to you. As you’re dealing with these things, here are some tips that you can use to make your life easier.
Only Wear Them at Home at First
By having one-on-one conversations with people who know that you’re adapting to new hearing aids you’ll be more comfortable. You’ll also be committed to working towards wearing them in more challenging environments. If you don’t have anyone around to help you with this, read something out loud or talk to your pet – these things will also help. From there you should try listening to audio books, radio or even the TV with captions on (just to be safe).
Enlist the help of your loved ones throughout the entire adjustment process. There are many ways in which they can help you, including:
Reading out loud while you follow along silently so you can re-learn how to recognize the more challenging nuances of our language.
Quizzing you about sound recognition, especially those that only vary by one consonant (e.g. dish/fish, pop/top).
Attending follow-up appointments with your hearing professional so you remember to ask about things you may have otherwise forgotten about.
Keeping a sense of humor when things get tough.
Learning more about your device and how to properly operate it (particularly if you are using your hearing aids with an iPhone).
Take Frequent Breaks
You should start by wearing your hearing aids for a few hours then gradually increasing the time they’re worn. Once you feel comfortable with them you can also start adding new situations when you wear them.
Attend Follow-up Appointments
It’s important to see your hearing professional so they can help you fine-tune the sounds that you’re hearing. They’ll also adjust how your device fits in your ear and provide you with a good source to discuss any challenges you’re having. You first appointment should be one week after your initial fitting and then once per week after that for the next four to six weeks.
When you’re ready to get hearing aids you’ll want to have someone there whom you can depend on to help you through the process. Thousands of people have found a good partner in Countryside Hearing Aid Services. Give them a call at 727-796-1161 and see how they can help you today. Countryside Hearing Aid Services has been family owned since 1979! They are a BBB Accredited A+ business and happily serve residents in Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor and Oldsmar.
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