May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, with “Communication for All” as the theme. Now that you’ve gotten your new hearing aids, taken a test drive in the office and have familiarized yourself with them – time to move on to improved communication.
Hearing Wellness Solutions wants you to know we are here to answer all your questions and help with your adjustments to your hearing aids. We believe better communication contributes to your over-all wellbeing. Your hearing aids represent a financial investment and we are committed to you getting the most out of your investment!
There will be a period of adjustment
Nobody runs a marathon without practice and the same goes for adjusting to your hearing aids. It is going to take time, patience and practice. You’ve been living in a muffled, insulated world for awhile and its going to take some adjustments to acclimate to all the sounds you have been missing.
It is important to remember everyone adjusts different and at their own pace. Its wonderful that you have supportive friends who have hearing aids, but please don’t evaluate your progress based on their progress
Your own voice is going to sound loud and hollow initially. This will pass as will the oddly loud swallowing and chewing you didn’t have before. There will be a bit of an adjustment to the actual physical feel of the hearing device. But after a short time, it will be like wearing a pair of glasses – when was the last time you were conscious of feeling that piece on the bridge of your nose? You probably are going to have to think long and hard about that!
Sound processing retraining
When you were experiencing hearing loss you were concentrating on hearing the sounds you wanted or needed to hear and the background noise, whether you realized it or not, gradually started to fade away. With the new hearing aids, you are going to hear the screen door rattling when the wind blows, the refrigerator running and even the sound of putting a shirt over your heard. Your brain has to adjust to processing those “new” background noises along with the main sounds. Practice communicating with individuals with your hearing aids and the background noises will fall into place and, well, go back into the background where they belong!
We offer listening skills training if you think that’s needed and you can always chat with a staff professional about specific listening and communicating issues.
Start out slowly
Start out wearing your hearing aids at home and only for a few hours at a time. Beware of auditory fatigue – you are not going to be used to the barrage of sounds and trying to sort them out is exhausting. If you have patience and let your brain rest, your adjustment will actually go quicker and easier.
Try wearing them for a couple of hours in the morning and then maybe at the dinner table. Gradually fill in the gaps during the day with some wearing time. Get used to your own voice. Some people find reading out loud helps or even carrying on a one-say conversation with a pet! Others find listening to audio books helpful because you can adjust the volume and as your brain starts processing the story, it is also adjusting to the sound.
Try out new situations slowly, drive somewhere to adjust to the traffic noise, then try it with the radio on and then with someone else in the car. Walk around the mall and see what the sound processing changes are and then try walking and having a conversation. Your family and friends are going to be very supportive because they will see the changes and see they can now communicate better with you.
If your favorite restaurant is a loud place with a lot of hustle and bustle, go to a quieter restaurant as part of the adjustment where you know you will be able to hear the server.
A positive attitude goes a long way
Set realistic goals for yourself and make sure you take the advice of the professionals at Hearing Wellness Solutions. We want you to get the most out of your life and your relationships and the better communication you will experience with hearing aids is the way to do that. Your success is our return on our investment in you.
