Getting used to hearing aids

Hearing aids are not like glasses

Getting hearing aids to treat hearing loss is an important step, but it's not the finish line. Because unlike wearing glasses, the benefits aren't always immediate or obvious.

When you first begin to use hearing aids, your brain will be startled once it begins receiving signals that it's been missing. Your brain needs time to get reacquainted with high frequency sounds of speech and other noises. Adapting to hearing aids is a process that takes time, commitment, education, and patience.

Five steps to hearing success

The following principles have been used by thousands of hearing aid wearers to successfully transition to better hearing health.

1. Acceptance
   Surprisingly, the first step begins before the purchase of hearing aids. Admitting and accepting your permanent hearing loss prepares you to get the help you need, to stop hiding or denying a hearing problem, and to end the pretense that you understand speech when in reality you may not.
   See FAQs – If I think I have a problem, what do I do?


2. Positive attitude
   Step two is about making a personal choice to achieve better hearing with a positive attitude. Simply purchasing hearing aids does not signal success. To overcome hearing loss, you must have a desire to learn and determination to increase your ability to hear. People who approach hearing aid use with a positive attitude are far more likely to achieve success.
   See FAQs – How will a hearing aid improve my quality of life?
   See FAQs – Will a hearing aid restore my hearing?


3. Education
   The most effective remedy for hearing loss is personal education. The more you know about your hearing loss and treatment, the more actively you can participate in your adjustment to hearing aid use. Hearing requires more than the ears. It’s a complex function that requires the cooperation of your brain and other senses.
   See FAQs – How do I know which hearing aid will be best for me?
   See Hearing Aid Finder Tool


4. Realistic expectations
   The fourth principle of success is to set realistic expectations. Hearing aids will help you hear better, but not perfectly. Focus on your improvement and remember the learning curve can take anywhere from six weeks to six months. Success comes from practice and commitment.
   See FAQs – Is there an adjustment period to wearing hearing aids?


5. Practice and patience
   Finally, the fifth principle of success is a combination of practice, time, and patience. Once you have logged sufficient hours for your brain to re-acclimate, you’ll be able to hear without thinking so much about hearing. It’s a good idea to begin with a schedule in which you wear your hearing aids part time and gradually work up to wearing them from the time you rise until the time you go to bed.

   Many hearing professionals recommend listening to books on tape as a way to practice hearing and understanding. In the first few weeks, if it’s too tiring, rest, then try again. Reach out for support and stick with it. The payoff is immense.
   See FAQs – Is there an adjustment period to wearing hearing aids?
   See Use & Care