Is There an Adjustment Period for Hearing Aids?

When you first get a hearing aid you might expect the change to be instant, however, it can actually take a while for this to happen! While you might experience a difference right from the off, the average amount of time it takes for you to get accustomed to your hearing aids tends to be up to four months. This can feel like a long time when you are looking to improve your hearing. Remember that it's vital that you remain patient and remember that this will be a long-term difference you will benefit from for years to come. 

Will My Hearing Be Perfect as Soon as I Get My Hearing Aid?

You need to keep in mind that hearing aids don’t cure your hearing but are a tool that will assist with making your hearing much better. While they are not a replacement for an ear that works perfectly, you might still experience sometimes when you can’t hear everything in a situation – particularly in the beginning. Try to be realistic and remember how your hearing has been over the last few years, particularly focusing on how much it has deteriorated and how much better it is now that you have your hearing aids fitted.

Why Will There Be an Adjustment Period?

The amount of your adjustment period will depend on how severe your hearing loss has been as your brain won’t have been used to hearing certain sounds. A hearing aid will bring these sounds back to you, but this can also be a shock to the system. Normal sounds that you would not have been hearing previously can make you jump or seem alarmingly loud.

Examples of this could be everyday sounds such as traffic, the vacuum cleaner or the washing machine. Your ears need to get used to these sounds and your brain needs to adjust to processing these sounds as it could have been a while since you last heard them properly. The sounds such as those mentioned above like traffic, are sounds that most people learn to channel into background noise over time, but as it is new to you, it is likely this can seem overwhelming.

You will also need to get used to wearing a hearing aid and the physical sensation of it being inside your ear. This is something new that you probably haven’t felt before and will take a while for you to adjust to.

Get Used to What Is Normal with Your Hearing Aid

When you first get your hearing aid you might not know what is normal and what is not. Over time you will learn the sounds and sensations that you are meant to hear and feel and those that you aren't, your adjustment period will help you to recognize these. Your hearing aid might be uncomfortable at first which is completely normal, however, if it feels painful this is not normal and you might need to get it adjusted and checked out by a professional.

You could also head feedback which might sound like a whistling noise. This can be due to things such as your ears being blocked with wax so you might need to get it cleaned out in order for the hearing aid to work properly. Your voice might also feel very loud to you, but this is also something you shouldn’t worry about and is totally normal. 

Go Easy on Yourself

Getting a new hearing aid is a big change in your life and you need to remember to go easy on yourself, particularly at the beginning. Remember that you haven’t been able to hear for a while now and this is a big change for your body to go through. You can start slow by not wearing your hearing aid all the time, in order to allow your body to adjust and get used to it and then increase this time and the weeks and months go on. Gradually introduce new sounds to yourself, such as the TV and radio, with your hearing aids in. This will allow you to get ready and slowly ease yourself in without all the sounds around you being too overwhelming.

If you are looking for a hearing aid or want to find out more about how a hearing aid can help you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can learn more about Rocky Mountain Hearing & Balance at our website or call us today at 801-268-327.