Normally, insignificant sound stimuli such as rustling leaves or tapping keys in an office are masked. However, even if these noises are no longer perceived, the brain forgets how to manage them. The sound-processing areas of the brain must not only learn that all sounds are slightly different with a hearing aid, but they must also remember that some sounds must be filtered again. This may take some time.
Get used to handling your prosthesis
An essential point that can help you become familiar with your new hearing aid on a daily basis is to get used to it. Your hearing care professional will explain how to insert and remove your hearing aid.
Practice doing it regularly. Learn about proper maintenance and cleaning methods. Try the various settings and listen to the differences.
First use the prosthesis at home
First use your prosthesis in a quiet environment. This will help you to better recognize sounds and associate them with the elements to which they relate, without being disturbed by traffic noise or the noise of a conversation. You must ensure that you create as quiet an environment as possible during daily use.
Advice
You do not have to wear your new hearing aid in your ear all day. If the sound sensations seem too intense, remove the hearing aid for a while. Start with a wearing time of a few hours, then increase this wearing time day after day until you can support your prosthesis from morning to evening.
Even a walk in the wild can help you become familiar with your hearing aid. In nature, you can especially listen to low noise, as there is little background noise.
Gradually use technical devices
Try to watch television and listen to the radio with your hearing aids in complete peace of mind. Information broadcasts are primarily recommended for a first test. Speakers are well trained and therefore speak in a clear and distinct way. The subjects follow one another and there is little ambient noise such as background music or sound effects.
You can also try calling a friend. It is best to turn down the volume beforehand and adjust it correctly during the conversation. If you need additional accessories to improve your phone conversations or TV sound, ask your hearing care professional for advice.
Dare to discuss with others
The first few times, when you discuss with a hearing aid, make sure it is done in a relaxed atmosphere. It is recommended to have only one or two interlocutors and to be in a quiet environment, without ambient noise such as television or the noise of household appliances.
To help you in your conversations, we give you some practical tips below that will also be useful in later situations where ambient noise is higher:
Choose an optimal listening position! The microphones built into the hearing instruments are generally oriented forward. If the person you are talking to stands behind or next to you, you will have more difficulty understanding them. The ideal solution is to position yourself well in front of him. It also allows you to better see the movements of his mouth.
If you are asked to participate in a conversation in a larger group, ask participants to behave well. If they speak clearly and without interrupting each other, it will help you a lot to understand the statements made.
Discussions sometimes evolve quickly. Don’t be frustrated if you can’t follow the conversation at times. Ask later if anyone can summarize what was said.
Pay attention to facial expressions and body language! If you pay close attention to the mouth movements of your interlocutor, you can learn to translate these movements into words. Unconsciously, the brain already uses this technique to understand mumbled words. With a little practice, you can train and use this ability in a targeted way.
Better hearing may be unusual
Often, it is your family and friends who encourage you to have a hearing screening. If you subsequently acquire a hearing aid, however, you will need to be patient before you can hear perfectly well. Indeed, once their hearing has improved with the hearing aid, hearing aid wearers often feel this change as an unusual overstimulation. After having had a reduced hearing for a while, you may be surprised to rediscover the amount of noise in the world! At first, this acoustic experience is not really optimal and can sometimes even be unpleasant. Even the sound of your own voice can cause discomfort at first. This phenomenon is referred to as an occlusion or occlusion effect. The cause of this phenomenon is found in “osteo-typical bone conduction”. This causes an increase in lower frequencies. Patients often describe this sound as a resonance of their own voice in their heads. To counteract this effect, the hearing care professional individually optimizes the ratio of ventilation and amplification.