How to learn to live with new Hearing Aids

Getting new hearing aids particularly for the first time can be a huge step. Let’s be honest no one wants to wear a hearing aid if they think they don’t need to!

With modern hearing aids being more than just hearing aids and now being multi-functional hearing instruments that stream music, phone calls or the television more and more people are making the right commitment to improve their hearing.

Let's look at how we can help you adapt to hearing aids

6 Steps to successful acceptance of hearing instruments
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

1 TIME


First and foremost you must give yourself time. When you first put hearing instruments in your ear your brain will basically go on fire!

You will most likely be hearing properly for the first time in 7 years (The average time from onset of hearing loss to seeking help). The brain will be getting over stimulation from the hearing instruments and will be frantically trying to recall what the real world sounded like. This takes time. If you think that it took you 7 years to lose your hearing then it’s going to take at least a month to learn to hear again.
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

2 STAY MOTIVATED AND POSITIVE


If you accept you have a problem and are motivated to find the hearing loss or hearing problem then you will begin to win the battle.

At Lanarkshire Hearing Centre we ask that you get motivated to try hearing aids to fix your hearing loss. We don’t ask you to commit to anything other than have the motivation to try and repair your hearing. If you are motivated to try we find that people are successful and move on to wearing hearing instruments full time.
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

3 KEEP IT REAL


A good audiologist should help you here and never promise something that can’t be delivered when it comes to hearing aids and hearing better.

Although Oticon make the claim that their OPN1s is on par with normal hearing we would certainly tell anyone whom is hearing impaired or suffers with hearing loss that although hearing aids will improve your hearing they will never return your hearing to normal. If you keep that in mind you are on the road to success.
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

4 TAKE TIME TO LEARN


A good hearing care professional or audiologist will help you here. Understanding why you have hearing loss and why you need hearing aids is a huge step forward to accepting help for your hearing.

This is the same for tinnitus & people who already wear hearing aids. We see many people who have tinnitus or existing hearing aids but don’t seek the right help or wear the hearing aids. One of the main reasons is they don’t understand why. A good audiologist will explain your hearing thoroughly and help you understand why you have hearing loss and why you need hearing aids.
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

5 ACCEPTANCE


Coming to terms with hearing loss can be difficult. Everyone notices before you and when they point out your hearing loss generally by calling you deaf!

You tend to dig in and say everyone mumbles. One thing you can start with accepting is you are not deaf. Having hearing loss does not mean you are deaf just like wearing glasses does not mean you are blind. If you can accept that your hearing may have some loss then you will have a very high chance of accepting hearing aids.
Learn to live with Hearing Aids

6 PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT


Ok so you have followed all of the above and decided to go ahead and accept hearing loss and at the very least try some hearing aids. You now have to commit to that trial and practice wearing them.

You have to learn to hear again. Start off with a few hours listening to TV and radio then become more adventurous and go for a coffee with friends. You will hear everything to begin with and this alone can be confusing for the brain as it tries to remember and distinguish the sound being supplied by the hearing aids. The more you practice the quicker the brain will adopt the new sound and you will hear better with your hearing aids.