Congratulations on purchasing your hearing aid!
This tip sheet is designed to help you adjust to your new hearing aids as quickly as possible.
Wearing hearing aids takes commitment
By now, you will have already noticed how different sounds are. You may want to turn the volume of your hearing aids down but please give this time. It’s likely that this is the level of noise that hearing-abled people experience. You’ll acclimatize to new sounds very quickly and it’s important that you wear your hearing aid everyday to fast-track this process. With this formula, you’ll enjoy the noticeable benefits very soon.
What you can expect initially
- All sounds will be louder initially
- Your own voice will sound different
- You, and those around you, may notice that you decrease the volume of your own voice. This is because you’re now hearing it more.
- With time, friends and family will also decrease their volume and energy when they speak to you. Conversations should become more relaxed.
These initial sounds may feel be a little uncomfortable, however this is normal and reassuring. After all, you’d question the benefit of wearing hearing aids if you weren’t noticing any difference. Please persevere and you’ll enjoy the rewards.
Background noise
So many people refer to background noise and state that they don’t want to hear all that extra sound. These sounds are present for all of us. They will initially be louder for you when they are new but this will settle.
Extra environmental features
Some hearing aids feature processes that lessen certain environmental factors such as group and noisy situations. We all experience these disturbances but your hearing aids maybe able to reduce these by only amplifying the sound in front of you, rather than behind. This feature is called a directional microphone and improves the signal to noise ratio to make conversations with the person in front of you much easier.
Hearing aids are just that, they are “aids” and don’t repair hearing loss. To get the most out of them, they should be used everyday and you will notice just how much easier it is to communicate with others. Be true to yourself!
Care and maintenance
The quality and life of your hearing aids can be reduced by certain environmental factors.
Please look after your hearing aids by following these guidelines.
Moisture – keep your hearing aids clean and dry
If you’re having a shower or bath we recommend that you leave your hearing aids in your bedroom, where they won’t be damaged by water, moisture or steam.
You can also reduce the effects of moisture by using a drying unit or dry crystals. Dry crystals can be purchased from our clinic.
Other environmental factors that can contribute to moisture are:
- Condensation
- Climate and season changes
- Sport and perspiration
We provide you with instructions at the time of your fitting. If unsure, please ask your hearing specialist.
Insurance
We always recommend that you contact your insurance company to guarantee that your policy will cover your hearing aids. Generally there is no charge for this, however it does give you piece of mind that your hearing aids will be replaced, and to what degree, if they are lost or damaged.
Insurance claims can be more common than you think, no matter how careful you are. If you are unlucky enough and need to make a claim, we can help with that too.
Our hearing specialists are here to answer your questions…
How often should I wear my hearing aids?
Hearing loss isn’t an issue that comes and goes, it’s permanent. In order to address your needs, you should be wearing your hearing aids everyday. You will notice the difference and your family and friends will value the input that you’ll have in their lives again.
Do I need to clean my hearing aids?
There are some simple things that you can do to improve the life of your hearing aids and clarity of sound. We recommend that your hearing aids are brought in to be serviced once a year. You may have seen our tips on care and maintenance above and you’re able to purchase all cleaning tools from our clinic.