How You Can Adjust to Your Hearing Aids

Everyone is different, but it can take from four to six months to get the most from your new hearing aids and fully adjust to wearing them. You may notice minor changes in your hearing from day one, but the message from the hearing professionals is to be patient. 

While it’s a crucial step towards addressing your hearing loss, buying your new hearing aids isn’t the final hurdle. The next step is learning how to adapt to wearing them, and this can be likened to learning how to drive a car. It’s a learning process, and it takes time. Adapting to hearing aids is different to getting new glasses that enable you to see better immediately. You need to take the time, be committed and be patient with yourself. 

During your trial period, your hearing aids will no doubt need several adjustments, and at ACE Audiology, we urge our clients to speak up if they have any concerns or questions.

How to adjust to your rechargeable hearing aids

Be practical:

Keep in mind that (for the majority of those with hearing loss) your hearing has gradually deteriorated, so over many years, you have adjusted to hearing only certain sounds when people speak, background noises etc. So regaining better hearing through your hearing devices will take time and patience.

Wear Your Devices:

You won’t adjust to your rechargeable hearing aids if you leave them in the case without practising. Your brain needs to be reminded about how to hear sounds, how to focus on sounds and filter them. This requires practice, and you may find that some sounds are a bit startling at first, but your brain will become accustomed to these sounds once again if you continue to wear your aids.  

Try to be patient: 

If you wear your rechargeable hearing aids as often as possible, you will adapt faster. It does take time and patience, but if you persevere, you will be adept at recognising the direction a sound is coming from, and you will learn which settings on your hearing aids work best in different environments and settings.

Get plenty of rest:

During your adjustment period, wearing your hearing aids may make you tired. Retraining your brain to hear sound is akin to waking up a muscle that hasn’t been used in a long while. Be assured that the benefits are worth the time it takes to adjust to your new hearing aids.

The steps you need to take for hearing success:

The right mental attitude can help you succeed in your transition from hearing loss to hearing gain, and you will succeed sooner if you embrace the following concepts: 

Acceptance

Before you begin your journey to opening up to the world of better hearing, you should  make sure you accept the fact that it’s not other people speaking too quietly or deeply, but that you are suffering from hearing loss. And you should accept that this loss is permanent. If you are used to hearing aids and need to update your device there is still likely to be an adjustment period.

Have a positive attitude

A positive attitude and knowing that it’s your personal choice to do something about your hearing loss will serve you well in your ability to achieve your hearing goals. By approaching your use of your new hearing aids with a positive attitude and determination to succeed and to learn, you will overcome your hearing loss much sooner. 

Be willing to learn

The more you educate yourself about your hearing loss and the necessary treatment, and see it as an adventure, the sooner you will adjust to your hearing aids. Hearing is a complex function involving more than your ears. Your brain and other senses must also cooperate during the adjustment period for you to learn how to use your devices.

Adjusting to ACE Audiology’s preferred hearing devices

There is no one type of aid, whether rechargeable or a removable battery powered device, that will speed up a new hearing aid wearers’ adjustment time. Adjusting is all about the brain becoming accustomed to sending signals to the ears. 

So, whether you are wearing hearing aids positioned behind your ear or inside the ear canal, or you need one or two devices, you will still need to follow the above advice to help you adjust to wearing your new hearing aid.

And while all the different hearing aid manufacturers have a version of the  Lithium-Ion rechargeable hearing aids, here at ACE Audiology, we believe the Bernafon Alpha 9 miniRITE T R model has achieved the right balance between operability, functionality and servicing. Another plus is that the Alpha miniRITE is available in levels 1 through 9.

Call us today to make an appointment with one of ACE Audiology’s hearing care professionals to discuss your rechargeable hearing aid options. Phone our Bulleen clinic on 03 9850 8888 or Ivanhoe on 03 9440 9409.