It will take time to get used to your new hearing aids. Some people only need a day or two to learn about and adjust to their hearing aids, most need a few weeks and some may need a few months.
Some will need to gradually work up to wearing the hearing aids for a full day while others will have the ability to put them in in the morning and take them out right before bed.
Have patience and give yourself time to adjust to hearing with the hearing aids.
If you feel overwhelmed in certain listening environments, take a break. Start by listening with your hearing aids to those people most familiar to you and in favorable listening environments. Then work your way through more difficult listening situations.
Your Own Voice
When you wear hearing aids for the first time, you will hear your voice amplified through the hearing aid, and will notice your voice sounds funny. Some describe this sensation as feeling “plugged up” or hearing a “voice echo”. This is normal and will usually go away in a few weeks after getting accustomed to new hearing aids and getting comfortable with adjusting the volume control. There are adjustments the audiologist can make to relieve these symptoms, should these persist beyond the first few weeks of wearing new hearing aids.
Realistic Expectations for Hearing Aid Users
When fit and adjusted appropriately, hearing aids work well by amplifying sound. Some find that prefer one hearing aid type or brand over another. The left and right hearing aids will probably not fit exactly the same and probably won’t sound exactly the same. Nonetheless, hearing aids should be comfortable with respect to the physical fit and sound quality. Although hearing aids help hearing, they do not restore your normal hearing. You will be aware of the hearing aids in your ears, much like getting used to glasses or contacts when first adjusting to them.
Hearing aids should not be worn in extremely noisy environments. Some hearing aids have features that make noisy environments more tolerable; however, hearing aids cannot eliminate background noise.
Physical Fit
Hearing aids need to be comfortable, not too tight or too loose. You will feel the hearing aids in your ears for the first few weeks.
If you experience any discomfort or irritations, the audiologist can make adjustments.
Call Western Michigan ENT at (231) 398-9536 for more information or to schedule an appointment.