A new world of sound:
When you are getting used to your new hearing aids, you will hear many things which you have gotten used to not hearing or perhaps have never even heard before. It can be fairly disorientating but give yourself time. Actively seek out the sources of these new sounds or ask other people where the noise is coming from. This will ease the adjustment process for you.
Don’t worry about people noticing your hearing aids:
You may feel self-conscious about people seeing you wear a hearing aid, particularly people who may not have known you have a hearing loss. Think about this in a positive light: In many ways it is useful to have a visible aid as it lets people know that you have hearing loss and a new hearing aid which you are getting used to, without you having to go through the process of explaining it to them. It can be quite refreshing.
Don’t mess with the volume too much:
Most digital aids automatically adjust the volume for different hearing situations. Many first-time hearing aid wearers make the mistake of turning the volume up too high in an attempt to make sounds clearer. Try to avoid doing this; allow your brain time to adjust.
Participate in conversations:
This is very important, particularly if you are not used to actively participating in group conversations due to the severity of your hearing loss. Take your time and focus on the person who is speaking or who you wish to hear. You will adapt to these situations fairly quickly if you are pro-active about joining in.
Don’t panic if you hear feedback or buzzing:
This does not usually mean there is a problem with your hearing aid. Feedback can occur when the ear moulds are not in correctly, try gently pushing them in to check. Buzzing noises are often attributed to individuals accidentally activating the ‘loop’ setting on their aids; check this out if you have one.
Make acoustics work in your favour:
Using your aid in large public spaces such as theatres or churches can be tricky at first. In venues such as this, the best acoustics are usually in the centre, towards the front of the room. Getting a seat here will give you the best possible quality of sound via your hearing aid.