Get Comfortable with These 6 Hearing Aid Wearing Tips
Hearing allows you to live life to the fullest, but as you age the likelihood of becoming hearing impaired increases. It’s true that age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss, and the greatest amount of hearing loss occurs in individuals who are between the ages of 60 to 69. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), an estimated 28.8 million adults in America could benefit from the use of hearing aids. Yet in adults over the age of 70, less than one in three adults have ever used hearing aids and that number is lower in adults between the ages of 20 to 69. Often, individuals have a hard time overcoming the social stigma of hearing aids. However, when used correctly hearing aids can have a positive impact on a person’s well-being and happiness.
It’s not uncommon for there to be an adjustment period when you first start using hearing aids. You do have a “foreign” object in your ear after all. However, if you are not prepared for this, you may become discouraged and “turned off” to wearing hearing aids prematurely. To help ensure you have a positive experience with your first pair of hearing aids, check out our hearing aid wearing tips that will help you adjust to your new hearing aid(s).
- Go Into the Experience with Realistic Expectations – It is important to know that hearing aids will not restore your hearing back to 100%, especially not right away. You will need to get used to wearing hearing aids, and there will be a period of adjustment. Keep this in mind, and you are less likely to become discouraged.
- Be Patient With Yourself – It may take some time getting used to your hearing aids. Your brain may need some time to be able to interpret particular sounds again. Be patient and realize this process may take some time.
- Slowly Build Up to Wearing Your Hearing Aids Daily – Your hearing aids will probably feel funny at first, so slowly work up to wearing them daily. Start off small, and slowly increase the hours each day. Just make sure you wear your hearing aids every day for best results.
- Watch the Volume – Your hearing aids may adjust to different sounds automatically, so manual adjustment of the volume is not often needed. If you do adjust the volume, just make sure you don’t put it up too loud. If you do, you may damage your hearing more.
- Practice – Help your brain reconnect the dots by practicing talking to others in groups, watching the television with the captions turned on, listen to audio books, talk on the phone, do listening exercises, and read aloud to yourself to help retrain your brain.
- Work With Your Hearing Care Professional – Make sure you keep your doctor informed about your progress and any concerns you may have. How can someone fix something that is wrong if they don’t know? Speak up to your doctor if you have any issues or questions along the way .