Terri Ramsey Beavers The main rule of thumb when you’ve recently been fitted for a hearing aid, is to be patient with yourself as you get used to wearing the device. As with any medical device that you wear on your body, it may take a little while to become accustomed to it.
Below, we’ve got a few quick tips that have worked for others who have hearing aids, to help them adjust to their new device. As you try these, you’ll see that it takes no time at all to get used to your device and enjoy all those restored sounds.
Photo Credit: Luis Quintero
Ease Yourself In
On day one of your hearing aid, you may want to spend the bulk of the time alone, in a quiet space, giving yourself some quiet to become accustomed to the device. The reason for this is that once you’ve installed the device, things may seem unnaturally loud or amplified for a while, and this takes some getting used to.
Wear it a Little at First
While many hearing aid wearers choose to put it on/in their ear and leave it, some newly fitted for hearing aids prefer to wear it a little bit at a time, then take it out, getting used to the hearing aid bit by bit. Either way is fine. It might be easier to do this for those who have OTE (outside the ear) hearing aids, as you can easily take it off and put it back on. Most audiologists recommend you wear your hearing device for a few hours a day then take it off at night. By the end of two weeks or so, you should be wearing it full time.
Try to Find the Right Volume and Leave it
Don’t play around with the volume on your hearing aid too much. Try to find the right volume for you and then leave it there, allowing your ears to become accustomed to the hearing device. If you play around with the volume too much, you can find it harder to settle on a proper volume and will get into the habit of changing it all the time, which isn’t the goal.
Practice
There is nothing wrong with practicing a little to see how the hearing aid works. Talk with a few people, try using the phone, play around with the volume on the TV/radio and even close your eyes and practice listening that way. Go ahead and assimilate yourself into everyday situations with your hearing aid.
Hearing Aid Accessories
There are accessories for hearing aids on the market that can make your hearing aid experience go even smoother. These include bluetooth functions, amplifiers, microphones, and much more. If you find that your hearing device works fine, but you’d like to get that much more out of it, invest in one or a few of these accessories to make the transition go over easier.
You are going to love your new hearing device. All it takes is a few easy to follow tips and you’ll be used to your hearing aid – and love it – in no time at all.