Getting Started With a Hearing Device- Suggestions

Hearing aids can take some getting used to.  Plan on it taking some work typically to get to a point where you can wear your hearing aid/s full-time with the exception of during sleep and bath time.

Tips to help the transition go smoothly:

1)  Wear the hearing aid for short periods of time at first.  An hour or two hours may be enough for the first couple of days.  Gradually increase the amount of time the hearing aid is worn each day.

2)  Start using the hearing aids in quiet environments.  Plan some quiet, pleasant activities where you are only interacting one-on-one with someone.  Avoid using the hearing aids in noisy situations (aka.  busy traffic, at the mall, a noisy restaurant) until you are used to them in quieter places.

3)  During the transition period, remove the hearing aids as soon as you become tired or restless wearing them.  Don't let frustration interfere with your progress. You want to keep the experience as positive as possible. Try again wearing them later when you have had a rest.

4) If questions regarding insertion and or removal of hearing aids, battery use, or cleaning of the hearing aid come up then contact your audiologist to assist you with these issues or wait to ask at your next appointment. 

5) Persevere with your hearing aids.  Sometimes it will take months to adjust to hearing aids.  Remember that you will eventually become accustomed to wearing your hearing aids and be pleased with how much better you are able to hear.

blogger: Sarah Helmel, AuD, RAUD
Registered Audiologist