Just like when you get a new pair of glasses, or start driving a new car, new things can take time to get used to, and hearing aids are no different. If you’ve never worn hearing aids before and are about to be fit with them, you may not be sure what to expect. Here are a few things that are common to experience with your new hearing aids.
- You may notice that your own voice sounds different and/or louder. If you have hearing loss, you likely have not heard your voice fully in a long time as hearing loss is often gradual. When we put hearing aids on, you will very suddenly notice a difference, especially in the voice that is closest to the hearing aids. This is normal!
- You might notice that certain objects around the house or out in public make more noise than you remember. For instance, many patients often note that the sound of running water is much louder than they remember. Again, this is normal and is an exciting part of getting hearing aids! The environments around you can come back to life now that you can hear the soundscape surrounding you again!
- On the flip side of all these newer, louder sounds, you may also notice that you still struggle more than you expected in places like restaurants and family gatherings. Your hearing aids are programmed to your specific hearing loss and likely have background noise reduction capabilities, but this is not the same thing as noise-cancellation. As someone with hearing aids, your aids are there to help you hear better, but they can never make your hearing perfect. Even individuals with normal hearing will often struggle to hear perfectly in tricky listening situations. Take time to practice good communication strategies with conversation partners such as slowing down when speaking, facing each other when talking to each other, and getting each other’s attention before beginning the main part of any important message.
New experiences can be scary, but hearing new things should be exciting! Your audiologist will work with you to make sure that you can hear the world around you. If you have any concerns about what may be new or different with your hearing aids, never hesitate to bring them up to your audiologist – we just want you to be able to hear the best you can.
Alexandra Jackson, Au.D.
