Hearing problems can have very detrimental effects on people’s lives. The problem is many people wait years to be tested or to get help. That is unfortunate because recent advancements in the technologies for assistive listening devices have made them much easier to wear and can really help people live better lives. One issue people have is getting used to wearing hearing aids. These tips can help people as they get used to wearing the enjoying their new device.
- Do not expect the device to feel great at first. It will take some getting used to when you first get your assistive listening device. Anytime you wear something new, takes some getting used to. If you wear glasses, you may remember that it took some adjustment to get used to wearing something on your face. The same can be said for assistive listening devices. If you wear glasses, getting used to wearing them with your hearing aids will take some adjustment, If you go into the situation knowing it will take some time will help the process.
- Start out slow. When you first get your hearing aids, you will have to get used to the new sounds and the way the device feels. You should not plan to wear the assistive hearing devices full time when you first get them. You will have a better time getting used to them if you start out slow. Wear your new hearing aids in situations where you are already comfortable for at least a few days. The goal is to wear them during all of your waking hours but it will take some time to get to that point. The longer you are able to wear them, the more improvement you will see in your hearing.
- Put them on in a quiet area. When you first get your assistive hearing devices, wait until you are in a calm and quiet space to try them on. Even soft noises such as the licking of your clock may seem overwhelmingly loud at first but if you go to a quiet space, put on your hearing equipment. Some hearing experts tell people to write down a list of the first noises they notice that they had not heard in a long time. Make a note if any are bothersome. They may not be within a few days. Keeping notes on all of this may help with the adjustment process.
- Set the volume and leave it. It is very easy to want to plat with the settings on your hearing equipment. Most assistive listening devices have the ability to automatically adjust so that you do not have to play with the volume. Your assistive hearing devices will not turn your hearing into supersonic hearing or make you into a spy. If you see people talking across a crowded room, you will not be able to hear what they are saying if you turn up the volume.
- Practice listening to people. Talking to people in groups will take a good deal of effort and practice. Start out by talking to people you know well. This helps because you are already used to talking to these people and their voices are familiar to you. You will be able to branch out and talk to groups of people you do not know easier if you started with people you know well.
- Ask other people to control the TV volume. Have your friends and family set the volume on the television to a level that they consider to be normal. When you have a problem hearing, you may turn your TV up really loud but should not have to once you have your assisted listening devices. You may need to spend some time retraining your brain. You may want to watch TV with the captioning on. You will need to do this less and less as your brain adjusts to the devices and hearing certain sounds again.
It is often hard for people to accept that they need assisted hearing devices. That is really too bad because the newer ones work better and can make people’s lives a lot better.