You’ve finally taken the ultimate step to address issues with your hearing. After countless hearing tests, you went and got yourself fitted for a hearing aid. Now you have them! First off, congratulations! However, the first week or so is particularly crucial because it’s an adjustment period that will decide if you can keep using the devices you have on hand.
Read on for helpful tips on adjusting to having to wear hearing aids:
A Quiet Room Is the Ideal Beginning Point
When you first start out, it’s key to start from a quiet room. Slowly allow yourself to get used to hearing faint sounds again, like a car driving by or the family pet walking. Don’t be alarmed if they seem very loud from the get-go; it’s likely from your brain not being used to it.
This is all part of adjustment and will settle down to a good medium eventually. A good rule of thumb is to make a list of things that are bothering you, even the slightest bit, as you go along. Before your next follow-up, look at the list and cross out any noises or sounds that may no longer be a cause for concern. That way, during your next check-up, you can go over them with a healthcare professional.
Start with a Few Hours of Wear Daily
A good way to ease into regularly wearing your hearing aids is doing so for just a few hours each day. Wear them when you wake up and slowly but surely ease into it as the days go by. Your healthcare professional can help you better with adjustments in future check-ups as you recognize sounds that are both helpful and bothersome. Consistently wearing hearing aids, even in more quiet environments, will be very helpful to the brain adjusting in noisy situations.
Resist the Temptation to Constantly Adjust the Volume
You’re going to feel like you have to fiddle with your hearing aids. In truth, they’re meant to adjust automatically depending on the situation at hand. Don’t crank it all the way up, either; there are still limitations to the devices. They can’t replicate the functionality of human ears in perfect health.
You’ll Need Time to Get Used to the Feeling
There will be a physical adjustment period a lot, like what happens when you wear braces or eyeglasses for the first time. For a few days, you might have a heightened awareness of how the devices feel in your ears. It shouldn’t last much longer than that. If you’re wearing glasses, don’t worry: there will be enough space behind your ear, and the glasses will be able to sit alongside new hearing aids accordingly.
Conclusion
Hearing aids are a great step towards better hearing, but they do come with an adjustment period. The first week or so is crucial in deciding whether the devices at hand will work well or not. A quiet room is the ideal beginning point; you’ll need time to get used to the feeling. Start with a few hours of wear daily and move forward from there.
Trying to find the best hearing aid in Rhode Island, Lexington, Greater Boston, and New Hampshire? Reach out to Hear More Associates! We’re the most trusted hearing care specialists caring for patients in the area.
