Do you have new hearing aids ? Here are four golden rules to follow to help you get used to them.
- Wear your hearing aids regularly
- To adapt better in the first weeks, wear your hearing aids every day for as long as they are comfortable. Remove them at bedtime.
- Go at your own rhythm, but remember: the more you wear your hearing aids, the faster you’ll get used to them.
- Pay attention when listening to relearn how to hear sound
- Many sounds might surprise you: the kettle, the phone or even the refrigerator. Don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal! You will have to relearn their sounds to identify them. Bit by bit, they will become part of your daily life.
- To watch TV, have someone tell you when the TV is at normal volume then adjust the volume of your hearing aids so you can hear it.
- Be patient
- Have realistic expectations about what your hearing aids can and can’t do. They do have limits based on their technology and your hearing.
- The first few days will be the hardest. After the initial adaptation period, your hearing aids will be increasingly gratifying.
- Slowly but surely
- You won’t adapt to your hearing aids overnight. The process is much like getting used to new glasses or dentures. It’s normal that sounds seem unnatural at first, but that will quickly change! Remember that listening consistently, regularly and repeatedly to sounds with your hearing aids will make hearing well seem more natural to you. The joy of hearing grows with use!
If you have any problems with your hearing aids, see your audioprosthetist. He or she is there to help you and will do everything possible to make sure you regain the pleasure of hearing.
There are some useful communication strategies that can help you adapt to your hearing aids and communicate more easily with those around you.