Adjusting To A Hearing Aid

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

21 Jun 2007 09:58 AM

I can remember when I was in third grade, getting my first pair of glasses. Oh how I hated them at first! They made my nose itch. They made my ears feel funny. My hair was always getting tangled in them. It took me several weeks to get used to them.

Expect the same thing if you're adjusting to a new hearing aid. It may take weeks; it may take months!

What you can expect:

• You may hear noises you haven't heard in a long time -- background noises you'd forgotten about will suddenly be back.
• Your own voice may sound very loud to you.
• Your hearing may change in different situations. You may need to adjust how you listen to conversations.
• Your hearing aid may feel uncomfortable. It will definitely feel weird -- you may also experience soreness or tenderness in the ear canal. You don't have to wear it around the clock; it's okay to take it out! Don't give up on it if it is uncomfortable. Give yourself time to get used to the hearing aids.

Your doctor or audiologist should be able to give you some guidelines for how long to wear your hearing aid when you are getting adjusted. You may only wear it for a half hour or an hour at a time, a few times a day -- at first. Gradually increase the amount of time you wear it; don't overload yourself at first. All the new sounds may leave you feeling uncomfortable and tired.

Wear your hearing aid when you're alone and talk to yourself out loud. This will help you get used to the (new and louder) sound of your own voice. Practice filtering out background noises, like pages turning and silverware clinking. When you do have company, try to stick to one-on-one conversations to start. Try to do your talking in quiet places, rather than in noisy coffeehouses and restaurants.

You may be able to adjust your hearing aid for different situations. If you can't, you may need to adjust yourself for different situations so that you can best hear. If you have trouble hearing at meetings, try to sit closer to the speaker. If you have trouble hearing in crowded restaurants, ask to be seated in a quieter area -- like off to the corner, or away from the kitchen. Also try adjusting your volume until you find a comfortable balance.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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