New to Wearing Hearing Aids in Waterloo, IA? Plan for an Adjustment Period

October 26, 2018

Will it take awhile to adjust to wearing hearing aids? Adjusting to hearing aids doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, but how long it takes depends on a few factors, like the severity of your hearing loss and how long it took you to seek treatment. So, the answer is yes—if you are a new wearer of hearing aids in Waterloo, IA or breaking in a brand new pair, there will be an adjustment period. Here’s what to expect, and some tips for hearing success.

Expectations and what to do

It can take up to four months for you to get comfortable wearing your hearing aids and learn how to use them correctly. Small changes will appear at first, and it’s important that you ask your doctor questions and be patient. You’ll probably need your hearing aids adjusted a few times during the first few months, which is normal:

Have realistic expectations: You need time to get reacquainted with the sounds you’ve lost touch with over the years. You are learning how certain sounds occur in speech and in your environment, like nature, hums from machines, traffic and even the wind.
Practice hearing: The more you wear your hearing aids, the quicker and clearer sounds will come back to you. Let your brain get some practice listening, connecting sounds to things and filtering sounds. Some noises may startle you at first, but this is expected and will subside over time.
Patience is key: To adapt to your hearing aids, wear them as much as possible. Listen for the direction sounds are coming from and start playing with the device settings to figure out what works best for you. Do this in different settings and situations—be patient with yourself.
Take breaks: You’re retraining your auditory system to hear and your brain to connect the dots between sounds and where those sounds are coming from. It’s important to adjust slowly to avoid frustration. It will take time, but you can do it!

Helpful tips

All hearing aid wearers go through a transition period. The goal is to hear better, have better hearing health and enjoy a better quality of life:

Acceptance and positivity: A hearing test may reveal hearing loss. If the treatment is a hearing device, the first step to take is accepting this loss and avoiding denial. Mentally prepare yourself by getting in a positive mindset before picking up your hearing aids and putting them on.
Educate yourself: Your doctor will give you a lot of information about your particular type of hearing loss and hearing aids. You can also jump on the internet, go to the library and do your own research. You might even look into joining a support group in your community or online.
Don’t beat yourself up: Some individuals will adjust to their new hearing aids quickly, while others may take longer getting used to the fit, sounds and settings on the devices. Don’t be hard on yourself—everyone is different.

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