The first use of a hearing aid can be somewhat shocking for many people.
Most hearing-impaired people wait far too long before getting hearing aids and they have often forgotten what it is like to have normal hearing.
This is why voices and traffic noises may seem very loud when using a hearing aid for the first time.
Generally, the sounds are quite different when compared to normal hearing.
Below is some good advice for first-time users of hearing aids
- You cannot compare hearing aids with spectacles. When you use glasses for the first time, you see the difference right away, but with hearing aids you have to get used to hearing differently.
- It is a good idea to practise being a good hearing aid user. This means that you must keep wearing your hearing aid - do not put it away if it irritates you. You need to have a good and ongoing dialogue with your audiologist and supplier. The more you tell them about your experience using hearing aids, the better they can be fitted.
- Fitting is an ongoing process. When you become more familiar with your hearing aid, you can tell your audiologist that a certain sound seems as if it is too close to you. He/She may then focus the hearing aids more accurately, making them work better.
- Wearing hearing aids for the first time is also a psychological process. It is a good idea to talk to the staff at the hearing clinic about your expectations and your experience.
- Set a personal objective and a plan of action: What you have to be aware of and the different expectations in certain periods, etc. This will be of great help to you while you get used to your hearing aids - both physically and mentally.
- Talk to other people who suffer from hearing problems and who use hearing aids. They will most likely have a lot of experience for you to draw on.
(source: hear-it.org)
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