Setting Realistic Expectations with New Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are an excellent tool that will enable those who are hard of hearing to have better and more controlled conversations with those that they are communicating with. Hearing aids are intended to make your day-to-day life more manageable and less frustrating by breaking down communication barriers and improving your hearing.

However, some people who are deaf or hard of hearing expect hearing aids to enable them to hear how they used to, or they expect them to correct their hearing issues completely. 

Hearing aids are a fantastic tool, but they are just a tool, and creating smooth and error-free conversations takes a lot of effort. 

This isn't to say that hearing aids won't make your life easier - they absolutely will! But we want to ensure that you have realistic expectations when it comes to the adjustment of wearing  hearing aids or even new hearing aids that are different from those you have worn in the past.

So today, we will go through what to expect from your hearing aids and how to make the most of them so you can improve your conversations. 

What to expect when you get a new hearing aid 

Hearing aids, when fitted and adjusted by a professional audiologist, will work great for you, but it takes time to adjust. 

Some people expect their hearing aids to work perfectly as soon as they're turned on, but there's actually an adjustment period for your ears. It might take a little while for your brain to work well with your new hearing aids, and things can be very difficult in the beginning. 

When your hearing aids are first fitted, you must be prepared to accept that they will not restore your ears to what you remember and will not be as good as normal hearing. 

For the first couple of weeks, you may be hyper-aware of the hearing aids in your ears, and until you get used to them, your voice might even sound funny. 

Here are five things to expect when first getting your hearing aid:

1. Expect it to take a while to adapt

You might notice it isn’t perfect when your hearing aid is first fitted. This is normal, and most of the time, a thirty-day trial period is offered to ensure a certain hearing aid is right for you. 

During the first couple of weeks of wearing your hearing aid, you will be adjusting to many things: 

• Inserting and removing the hearing aids
• Adjusting the volume control
• How to clean them
• How to open and close the battery door
• Changing the battery
• Placing the hearing aid in their dry-aid kit

There is a lot to learn, and like everything, people learn at different speeds. Start slow, learn one thing at a time, and keep in contact with your audiologist if you need help with anything along your journey to improved hearing. 

2. Expect to have a comfortable fit

Your hearing aids should fit comfortably in your ears. Not too tight or too loose, but just right for you. 

How can you tell if your hearing aids are fit right?

At first, you might experience a little soreness or irritation, but over the next week or so, you should be able to wear your hearing aid for several hours a day without any discomfort at all. 

If you do find your hearing aids to be uncomfortable even after a couple of weeks, then let your audiologist know so they can adjust them for you. 

If your hearing aids aren't comfortable to wear, you won't use them to their full potential. Report any irritations to your audiologist, and do not wear them again until a solution is figured out. 

3. Expect to be able to hear well - but not perfectly

Your hearing aids are designed to amplify sound, so speech becomes comfortably loud. This will help you hear most of what has been said in a conversation without watching a person's lips or asking people to repeat themselves. 

But wearing hearing aids isn't the solution to every miscommunication and hearing mishap. Even people with regular hearing watch people when they speak to help the conversation. When wearing your hearing aid, remember to combine your vision and hearing to make the most out of them. 

The hearing aid makes listening easier and helps you prevent any stress on your hearing. It makes listening situations pleasurable again, but it will not repair your hearing. 

For example, your hearing aids might be able to help you hear almost perfectly in quiet situations, but in noisy environments, you'll have to rely on more than just your hearing aids. 

4. Expect your results to be different from others

If you know somebody who already has a hearing aid or has been using one for years, do not expect your experience to be the same as theirs was.

Everybody has a different experience with hearing aids, and nobody will have the same results as another. 

Your expectations should be based on the type and degree of hearing loss you have, past experiences, and the improvement you experience personally from amplification.

It's often noted that a person's motivation to hear well is the most important factor in determining the success of the hearing aid fittings.

5. Expect to have to put in some extra effort

As we've mentioned, your hearing aids aren't the answer to your hearing problems. They're a tool that you can use to make listening situations easier. 

To fully take advantage of clearer hearing thanks to your hearing aid, you should:

• Always ask people to face you when speaking
• Ask them to repeat things if you don't understand
• Have your hearing aid adjusted if you notice anything is off
• Pay attention to visual communication in conversations 
• Try to avoid having long conversations in noisy areas
• Attend all your follow-up appointments
• Follow the directions of your audiologist

We hope this blog has helped you understand the realistic expectations of hearing aids and how they will help you communicate better. 

If you or a loved one need their hearing checked, our team is here to help. 

At The Hearing Solution, we have an audiologist on staff who can look at your hearing and diagnose you with hearing loss. Once we know the extent of your hearing loss, our team can treat it and prescribe you a hearing aid that will help improve your quality of life. 

All our hearing aids will be fitted and synced to your needs allowing you to experience the world the way you should. 

Book a hearing test today at The Hearing Solution by calling 916 646 2471 or by scheduling online here.