If you are about to get hearing aids, you may dream of popping them on and instantly hearing as well as you did before you experienced hearing loss. Sadly, this is not exactly what will happen. Hearing aids can and will be very helpful to you, but they do take some time to get used to. Here are four tips to help you adapt during those first few weeks with your new devices. 

1. Wear them in private first

When you are not used to hearing aids, the sound they amplify can feel overwhelming after just a short while. Wearing them in a busy, loud area may make it hard for you to distinguish sounds and may even give you a headache. So, at first, try wearing your hearing aids only in private areas like inside your home. These areas tend to be a bit quieter, and if you need to take your hearing aids off or turn them off, you can do so without any challenge or judgment.

2. Talk to someone

Getting used to hearing aids can be a bit challenging psychologically. Some patients struggle with accepting the reality that their hearing really is lapsing. Others feel self-conscious about wearing the hearings aids in public; they worry that others will look at them differently. Talking about these feelings is important and will help you get past them. You may want to look into seeing a therapist or at least talking to a good friend about your feelings. If you have a friend who has hearing aids themselves, this friend may be a good person to talk to!

3. Get adjustments

Make an appointment with your hearing aid specialist for a week or two after you initially get the hearing aids. This way, if you notice that certain sounds are too loud, your hearing aids are uncomfortable, or you have trouble distinguishing sounds in certain areas, you can talk to the specialist and have them adjust your hearing aids to improve these issues.

4. Set goals for yourself

Once you realize that adapting to hearing aids is a process, you can set goals for yourself to keep your progress moving forward. For example, you can set the goal to wear the hearing aids for 3 hours a day by October 1st, and during all of your at-home time by October 10th. Talk to your specialist to learn what progress goals may be best for you.