Tips for Adjusting to Your New Hearing Aid

Man wearing purple shirt sitting at a table with his new hearing aids examining them and smiling.

You finally got those new hearing aids. You’re so excited to be able to dive into your social life again. No more bad transitions or confused conversations. But your hearing aids just don’t sound quite right.

The reason for this is that it will often take some time before you get used to your new hearing aids. This can be an annoying transition. You were so excited about enjoying your hearing again and it feels like it’s taking so long.

But there are a few tips you can practice to reduce this transition period. Before long, with a bit of practice, you will be paying attention to what you’re hearing rather than your hearing aids.

Start slowly with these tips

No matter how technologically sophisticated they may be, it’s going to take your brain some time to get used to hearing certain sounds again. Here are some ways you can purposely give yourself time to adjust and take it slowly:

  • Start by using your hearing aids at home only: When you’re at home, you have much more control over what you’re hearing, and you’ll likely experience significantly less noise pollution. This means you can focus on one voice at a time.
  • Wear your hearing aids for a short duration: When you’re just starting, you can practice by wearing your hearing aids for just a few hours at a time. They may feel a little funny at first (this is normal), so it’s good to start a little bit at a time. As your hearing aids become more comfortable, you can wear them for longer durations.
  • Focus on one-on-one conversations first: If you wear your hearing aids while dining at a crowded restaurant on your first day using the devices, you may be discouraged, not because the hearing aids aren’t working. When the brain has to pay attention to all those voices, it can become overloaded at first. Staying with one-on-one conversations can help make that transition smoother (and give you a little extra practice, too).

Tips that help you get added practice in

There are some things you can do, as with any skill, that can help you practice hearing. You could even have a little fun!

  • Do some listening exercise: That’s right: sit in a quiet place and let your ears do the hearing. You can practice by concentrating on trying to hear the fridge running or the cat meowing in the other room or the birds singing outside.
  • Read along with the printed version while you listen to the audiobook.: This similar exercise can also be quite enjoyable. Reading and listening to an audiobook concurrently will help your brain make associations between words and sound.
  • Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV: It’s easy: Turn on the TV, put your hearing aids in, and enjoy. As you read the dialog you’ll also be hearing the actors speak, and your brain will start remembering what all these words sound like. This can give you some practice hearing and getting used to speech.

Strengthen your hearing health with these tips

Keeping your ears as healthy as possible, after all, is one of the principal purposes of hearing aids. And there are some tips you can do to keep your ears happy as you get used to wearing your new hearing aid:

  • Keep visiting us: You may not think you need to get hearing assessments anymore after you get your hearing aids. This would be a bad idea. We can help make adjustments to your hearing aids, keep the fit comfortable, and continue to check in on your hearing. It’s important to continue with these follow up appointments.
  • Be certain to take note of and let us know about any pain: Your hearing aids shouldn’t hurt. So if you’re experiencing any pain or something’s not fitting right, it’s important to let us know as soon as possible.

Take your time, and build up to full-time hearing aids

Working your way up to wearing your hearing aids full time is the objective here. A slow and steadfast approach works quite often, but everybody’s unique. Learning the best ways to get comfortable with your new hearing aids is something we can help you with.

These tips will help you have a more enjoyable and enriched life with your new hearing aids.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.