Tips for new hearing aid users

By Dr. Becca Rancourt, audiologist

Have you recently been fit with hearing aids? If so, here is some information that may be helpful for you to know.
Many people think that hearing aids are a quick simple fix for hearing loss, similar to how glasses can be put on and give you instant access to improved vision. Hearing aids are different from glasses because hearing aids need to be personalized and programmed to your individual hearing ability. It takes time for your brain to adjust to hearing sounds that are not able to be heard without hearing aids.
Hearing aids cannot restore your hearing to normal, but they can improve your hearing by amplifying sound in the frequency regions where hearing loss has occurred. The more you use your hearing aids, the faster you will adjust to the sound.
Wear the hearing aids for as long as you can during the day, even if you are alone at home. Try talking out loud to help train your brain to get used to the sound of your own voice. Many people report that the sound of their own voice sounds funny when wearing hearing aids for the first time. It sounds odd, but read out loud to yourself to help adapt to the sound of your own voice.
Today’s hearing aid technology is designed to automatically change the amount of amplification you receive based on your surroundings. Wear your hearing aids in different environments to get used to how they sound when you are in a quiet environment compared to when you are in louder environments such as a restaurant or a grocery store. Hearing aids are designed to provide patients with the ability to adjust the volume on their own. If your hearing aids are too loud when you are in these environments, use your volume control buttons on the hearing aids, or on your phone app, and turn them down. It is okay to feel the need to turn the hearing aids down on occasion.
If you are wearing hearing aids and still struggle to hear or understand the TV, try turning on the closed captions to help assist in understanding the words. Many hearing aid manufacturers also make devices that can connect your hearing aids directly to your TV to be able to stream the audio from the TV right to your hearing aids using Bluetooth technology.
The last thing that is very important to being successful with hearing aids in the long run is to make sure you are keeping them clean. Your hearing care professional should review this process with you when you get hearing aids; however, it is okay to ask for review, if needed. Hearing aids have disposable parts that help keep the hearing aid clean. These include; wax filters, domes, microphone covers, and tubes. It is important to have your hearing aids regularly cleaned and serviced by a hearing care professional such as an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.
At Waterville Audiology, we see our patients regularly every three to six months to clean hearing aids and to maintain functionality of the devices. We are glad to service hearing aids, even if they were not purchased from us. We are happy to educate patients on how to use their hearing aids and how to keep them clean to ensure you are getting the most out of our devices. Call us today to schedule an appointment, 207-872-0320.