Tips to Get Familiar With Your New Hearing Aid Device

Introduction

Deafness is a medical condition. It prevents the ability to hear sounds. It can be caused by various reasons. But as modern technology evolves, this situation can easily be avoided. A hearing aid helps significantly the hearing-impaired folks with their day to day life. With the newfound ability of hearing, many people were able to reach their full potential and gain confidence. But getting used to the new device can certainly be a handful. In the following article, we will walk you through the necessary steps to getting used to your brand new device.

Choosing Your Device

There are several types of hearing aid devices available. The choice of the device depends highly upon the degree of hearing loss, personal choice & lifestyle. Some people may be more comfortable about sharing their condition than others. And it’s certainly not rare to see that some people turn their earpiece into a fashion statement. There are four types of hearing aids available for you. You can choose any of them by consulting your audiologist. The types being,

• Behind the ear aid (BTE): These are the most common types of hearing aids and can be used for any degree of hearing loss. They vary in sizes. One can always borrow one of these from hospitals when the NHS staff recommends it.
• Receiver in the canal aid (RIC): This type of hearing aids is more discreet than BTE hearing aids and smaller in size. They are very much handy for a new user.
• In the ear/canal aid (ITE/ITC): This type of hearing aids fit with the outer proportion of the ear. It’s almost always custom made for the individual and consists of a larger battery. This ensures longer battery life.
• Completely in the canal/Invisible in the canal aid (CIC/IIC): This type of hearing aids are almost invisible therefore are more discreet. It’s also custom made for individual ears. But may need a frequent change of battery.

Tips on Getting Used to Your Hearing Aid

From ‘Reddit’ to ‘Quora’ we found numerous questions about how to get used to using a hearing aid. We have compiled the frequently asked questions. Then with the help of experts, we’ve generated the following tips and tricks. This will significantly help you get used to your new hearing aid.

It may take up to three months to get used to a hearing aid. But it can vary according to the severity of hearing loss, lifestyle, and the frequency of needing to use a hearing aid. The following 13 tricks will help you greatly to get used to your hearing aid in your lifestyle.

• Don’t get discouraged if they feel annoying at first. Like any other accessories, your body needs to get used to a hearing aid. And if you also use glasses, be careful when placing or removing them.
• If needed, use hearing aids for a shorter while at first. You can make yourself familiar with the device for a shorter time at first. For the first few days use them only for a few hours. Eventually, increase the time. The more you use your hearing aid, the more easily you get accustomed to the sounds. It’ll also help the audiologist to make adjustments according to your experience.
• Start in a quiet room. On the first day, choose a quiet room and try your device. Note down the sounds that you may find too loud or bothersome. They can be as simple as the ticking of a clock or a car driving by outside. Then in your next appointment, if you still find those sounds annoying, the audiologist can adjust them for you.
• Don’t experiment with volume too much. Your hearing aid may adjust to the surroundings automatically. These are not supposed to function as fully-functional ears. Too much volume can damage your hearing more.
• Practice talking to people in groups. Make conversation with your close friends and make eye contact with them while talking. This way the brain can connect the dots among sound, vocal patterns, and body language.
• Ask help to set the television to a “normal” volume. Setting the television to an appropriate volume helps your brain to process you to get adjusted with the new setting a lot.
• Watch movies/news/tv-series with subtitles. Listening and reading words at the same time is a good exercise for your brain to associate a sound with language.
• Listen to the audiobook while reading it. This is the same as the previous one. Listening and reading is a very good exercise for your brain.
• Read aloud to yourself. This will get your brain to familiarize yourself with your voice and help you to speak in an appropriate volume.
• Try listening exercise. Close your eyes and try to detect the direction from where a sound is coming. It’ll also help you with different sound and speech patterns.
• Take advantage of looping systems if your hearing aid has a telecoil. Ask your audiologist if your device has a telecoil. If so, be sure to ask them to activate it.
• Talk on the phone more easily by positioning it over your hearing aid’s microphone. Tilt your phone slightly forward to position it directly upon the hearing aid’s microphone. Thus, you can capture the soundwaves of the phone effectively.
• Work your way up until you get used to them wearing them the whole day. Try wearing your device all the time within two weeks. It’ll greatly help your brain to adjust to amplify the sounds. This ensures that your device is most effective.

Conclusion

The ability to clearly hear and process words is a very precious gift. Your self-esteem and confidence can get a significant boost when you can overcome the difficulties. One should take the necessary steps in the earliest possible minute when the hearing problem arises and a hearing aid can make your life much easier. So rather than waiting for the inevitable hearing loss, take action now. Live your best life with all the beauty of a melodious tune and make use of the wonders of modern cutting edge hearing aid devices.