Tips to Adjusting to Life With Hearing Aids

In the journey to restoring clear communication, hearing aids offer a simple and effective solution. However, adjusting to this new device, and the new surplus of sound that follows, can pose a difficult challenge.

In this article, our experts at El Dorado Hearing are breaking down this adjustment process, sharing five of the most effective tips to help you find comfort in your new hearing aids. 

Understanding the Adjustment Process for Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are sophisticated devices, designed to amplify sounds and restore your communication. However, it’s important to recognize that hearing aids do not immediately restore your natural hearing. Instead, they provide a volume boost, which your brain must process. Because of this, the most difficult challenge often lies in retraining your brain’s ability to interpret sounds accurately. 

This adjustment process involves more than just getting used to louder sounds; it requires your brain to refine its ability to focus on specific sounds, such as speech, while filtering out background noise. It’s a skill that doesn’t develop overnight. Just as it takes time to adjust to wearing new glasses, your brain needs a period to adapt to the enhanced auditory input provided by hearing aids. 

During this time, you may find that certain sounds seem unnaturally loud or that speech sounds distorted. This is a normal part of the adjustment process, and with time and practice, your brain will become adept at interpreting sounds more naturally and effectively.

Implementing 5 Tips to Adjust to Life with Hearing Aids

With this in mind, it’s time to begin retraining your brain to the new environment of sound. To help you facilitate this transition, our audiologists are breaking down five of the most effective strategies for adjusting to hearing aids:

• Gradually Increase Your Sound Exposure
• Select High-Quality Hearing Aids
• Develop a Positive Attitude & Support System
• Take Breaks When Necessary
• Practice Distinguishing Speech from Noise

Gradually Increase Your Sound Exposure

When you begin wearing your hearing aids, gradually increase the duration you spend wearing them until you reach full-time. This allows your brain to adjust to the new sounds without becoming overwhelmed. Keep in mind, you should still aim to wear them as much as possible to hasten your brain’s adjustment process. 

Select High-Quality Hearing Aids

By opting for custom-fitted hearing aids, you can avoid much of the initial discomfort faced with the new device. These hearing aids are tailored to your ear, providing a comfortable and effective solution. While over-the-counter hearing aids have recently hit the market, investing in high-quality devices will often ease the adjustment process.

Develop a Positive Attitude & Support Network

Hearing impairment comes with a wide range of challenges, and new hearing aids are no different. When navigating this adjustment process, it’s important to maintain a positive attitude, bearing in mind the benefits of this lifestyle change. To ease this adjustment, it can be helpful to also seek emotional support, whether through friends and family or therapy.

Take Breaks When Necessary

The more often you wear your hearing aids, the quicker you’ll adjust. However, overwhelming yourself can lead to strain, making it more difficult to focus on the task at hand. Because of this, it’s important to take breaks whenever you feel overwhelmed.

Practice Distinguishing Speech from Noise

When adjusting to hearing aids, it can be difficult to process and distinguish the new surplus of sound. Fortunately, you can strengthen this ability through practice. Set aside time daily in a quiet space to listen to various sounds or spoken words, gradually introducing more complex auditory environments. This practice can accelerate your adaptation and improve your ability to distinguish speech from noise.

Getting Started with your Adjustment to Hearing Aids

By employing these strategies, coupled with consistency and perseverance, you’ll find that your hearing aids become a natural extension of your senses, opening up a world of sound that enriches every experience. 

 

If you’re struggling to adjust to your hearing aids, remember that you are not alone. Our experts at El Dorado Hearing have years of experience helping people maintain and restore their hearing abilities. Give us a call at 702-857-8188 or visit our contact page to learn more about how you can simplify your adjustment to hearing aids.