What is the First Experience with a Hearing Aid Like?

Getting a hearing aid for the first time is a unique experience, and for many who feel like they need a hearing aid, it can be something that they want a heads up on before going through with it. Anything that’s being attached to your body, temporarily or permanently, is going to feel odd at first, but thankfully, there are a lot of improvements and upgrades that have been made to hearing aids. They now come in all shapes and sizes and are worth knowing about. Here are some things to expect when it comes to wearing a hearing aid for the first time.

Make sure you had them fitted properly

It’s good to make sure that you’ve got your hearing aids fitted properly by a professional. When you visit an audiologist for your hearing test, they’ll be able to guide you through the process. It’s important that you pick the right hearing aid for your needs and that it also suits your ears when it comes to comfort and positioning. 

There can often be a few teething problems when it comes to fitting the hearing aid, and your audiologist should be more than accommodating in making sure that you feel comfortable with your hearing aids in. You’ll likely have a trial period where you wear your hearing aids for so long and then come back in for any adjustments or feedback in general when it comes to the fitting of your hearing aids.

Voice your concerns if you feel as though they’ve not been fitted properly before leaving, otherwise, you’re the one who’s going to have to deal with the issues.

What does a hearing aid feel like?

It’s a good idea to start wearing your hearing aids around the home as this is the easier listening situation out of all the general day-to-day scenarios you might be put in. When it comes to wearing your hearing aids for the first time, you’re going to hear sounds at a much louder volume, and it’s likely to be sounds that you might not have necessarily heard before. This might be running water, footsteps on the floor and perhaps even your loved one speaking to you. It’s normal for the sounds to be loud when you first have your hearing aids and will recede as your ears get used to the devices.

Conversations may be quite overwhelming, to begin with, especially as you find that your voice may sound louder. However, you will soon get used to your voice being at a more appropriate level. Chances are, you’ve been used to shouting and for people to be shouting at you in order to hear and for you to hear yourself.

Wearing your hearing aids in noisy situations

When it comes to wearing your hearing aids at home, you’ll get used to the noise level fairly quickly. However, when it comes to social occasions and noisy environments, it’s important to be prepared for the change. There are benefits to these situations because you’re going to hear more than you ever could before. 

Listening to people’s conversations never felt so good! Hearing aids are good to help amplify speech and to cut out any unwanted sounds that might muffle the sound of voices. Most hearing aids nowadays are capable of helping you cut down on the background noise like street noise, to make it more bearable for your ears to handle.

As much as it’s good to block out this background noise, you still need it to a certain extent. It can help to keep you safe, especially when you’re out and about, crossing roads and driving.

What to do if it’s feeling uncomfortable 

There are going to be scenarios where you might feel uncomfortable with your hearing aids. Perhaps after some pro-longed usage, they still don’t feel right in your ears or perhaps the noise levels are still too loud. If that’s the case then it’s good to voice your concerns with your audiologist whenever you get a check-up. If it’s becoming unbearable, then it’s worth booking yourself as soon as you can. You should benefit from your hearing aids; they shouldn’t be confusing or cause you any discomfort. 

If you have concerns, let the professionals know so that they can sort it out for you as soon as possible. If you’re looking at getting hearing aids, then it’s worth getting in touch with Atlantic Audiology today at (401) 262-0170. They can help discuss your options and to help improve your hearing where it’s needed.