There are ways that you can help yourself hear better.   When you get hearing instruments for the very first time your brain has to wake back up to what sounds really sound like.  Along with that... your brain also has adjust to these new but ‘old’ sounds at a stronger level.  At first, Sounds may be funny, or harsh.  Some sounds may be somewhat tinny.  There may be some echo’s.   It takes a little time for the brain to become accustomed to the additional auditory stimulation that it is receiving. 

The good news is that our brains will adapt pretty quickly.  Along with our brains’ ability is the fantastic programming capabilities of modern hearing instruments.   Your hearing healthcare provider can adjust for tinny sounds, echo’s and harshness.  Hearing instruments today offer hundreds of possibilities in fine-tuning parameters.  

Correcting the hearing loss is usually the easy part... It’s controlling all extra ambient sounds that you are now also hearing at normal levels that is the tricky part.  That is why the level of technology and hearing instrument sound processing capabilities are so important. The more that your hearing health care provider has to work with...the better your will hear and the more background noise that can be combated. 

As you are getting used to your hearing instruments it is important that you wear them everyday... all day long.  It is recommended that 12 hours per day provides the best health for your brain.  It provides the most practice for your ears.  We often start off a new patient with a goal of a minimum of 7 hours per day.  If you need to take them out because you are just sick of wearing them or they are bugging you… then take them both out for 2 hours and let the nerves in your ear settle down.  After 2 hours put them back in and wear again as long as possible.  In a few short days you will forget you have them in.

With the current health scare of COVID-19 most people are not experiencing as much restaurant noise as they were just a few months ago.  Our lives are a little quieter.  That being said...we still need to have some background noise once in a while to keep our brain active.  Try playing the radio in the background.  It doesn’t have to be turned up loud.  It can be so soft that you barely know that it is on.  Your brain will hear it and ignore it when you are carrying on a conversation with others.  Keep it low.  Same with the tv.  Keep it low…very low if you are not actually watching it.  Just give your brain some extra sounds to differentiate.  Download some hearing games.  Games that help you pick words and sentences out of varying levels of background noise.  “Hear Coach” by Starkey Hearing Technologies is such an app.

To further help yourself with hearing instruments and the journey to better hearing we suggest being honest with yourself and others about your hearing loss.  If your family and friends understand your difficulties then everyone can make an effort to make your life better.

Educating yourself with the information given to you by your Hearing Health Care Provider is a good idea.  You should have been given booklets with information about your hearing devices.  Read them.  They are sure to prompt valuable questions for your Hearing Professional.  If you need to make a list of questions before your follow-up check ups... by all means...do it!   Our office also has a YouTube channel to help you with all valuable information about hearing instruments.  Go to “YouTube” and search “Lampe & Kiefer Hearing Aid Center”. Then you can scroll through all the video’s that are available to help you.

You should be set follow-up and cleaning appointments.  It is very important that you keep these appointments.  Hearing instruments have data logging and provide valuable information for your provider.  This data logging helps the provider to dig into any difficulties you may be experiencing.

More than anything...talk to your Hearing Health Care Provider about your hearing needs...the ‘con’s and the pro’s!  Be an active participant in your journey to the better hearing. 
To Hear Better Is To Live Better!