Getting Used to New Hearing Aids
Transitioning to new hearing aids while your older products are still functional can give you a great advantage in this often difficult process. The human body does not always react smoothly to change, and it gets harder and harder to adapt to change as we age. When you use hearing aids for an extended period of time, you become very accustomed to how they sound, which often makes it quite challenging to get used to the sound of new hearing aids. Typically, newer hearing aids produce more sound and enable the user to hear more, but this also causes them to be aware of many more sounds in the world around them. This results in the very common complaint that “I hear too much background noise!” when first wearing new hearing aids. The background noise being referred to is nothing other than environmental sounds that have always been present; you are just hearing them differently than you previously had when using your older hearing aids. Everyone says they want to get new hearing aids so they can hear better and reduce conversational frustration; but the only way to accomplish this is for you to hear more of the sounds in our world, including those perceived as background noise.
In most cases, whenever it is appropriate, we try to use the same manufacturer for your new hearing aids as was used with your previous set. Each hearing aid manufacturer has a different type of sound production, so it is much simpler to stick with the same company as long as the person was pleased with their previous aids. Your brain is accustomed to that particular type of sound, making the transition to new aids much smoother. This is an important factor our audiologists consider when recommending what hearing aids might be appropriate for your situation. People often come to us with statements along the lines of “My friend has a ______hearing aid and she hears great, can I get the same one?” It is certainly possible to be fit with the same aid(s) your friend has, but their success is not an accurate predictor of the success you will have with that same product. It is best to consult with your audiologist and explain what you would like to accomplish with your new hearing aids, allowing us to have the complete picture of your hearing desires to prescribe the best product possible for YOU. Your audiologist is the best resource for helping you achieve optimal hearing capability, use their expertise.
It is quite common for our patients to want to try different types or styles of hearing aids when they switch from old to new products. We often hear “Can I get one of those new ones with the little wire?” or “I want something nobody can see.” Not all hearing aids are suitable for each person, and we as audiologists must consider a large number of factors when advising what to purchase. Our goal is to capitalize on the successes you had with your previous hearing aids, while improving on the failures of those old products. We must consider everything from your dexterity to your vision to your telephone usage; if we miss an important factor in YOUR hearing world, then you likely won’t be happy with the products we have supplied. Sometimes this means recommending the same shape and size, a larger shape and size, a different style altogether, switching from one-to-two aids, or even from two aids down to one. Ask your audiologist why they are suggesting what they’re suggesting because if they don’t know and can’t describe it to you as the user, I recommend going to a different hearing health care provider. We are the experts, don’t be shy to ask why we make the recommendations we do, and to also challenge the health care provider if what they say doesn’t seem to make sense.
On many occasions, switching to new hearing aids is seamless and without any complications; but in other cases it takes time to adapt to the fit, feel, and sound of the new products. It is a huge advantage to the user to have functional back up hearing aids as a fall back in case we run into difficulty during your transition period. It is common for our patients to try a different type of aid to see if it will work for their situation, but if it doesn’t work out then having the old aids as a fallback provides a measure of security for those wearing the hearing aids. Furthermore, it is much easier on the family and friends of the user if they aren’t left without any hearing aids at all for a period of time. I always recommend to people that they can expect several months of minor (even major) tweaks and adjustments to the new hearing aids before they’re up and running at full steam. We cannot rush how your body adapts to the new products, but your audiologist will be there at each step to help guide you through the acclimatization phase. Having patience in this process is critical, and having your old aids to use if you really need them is a fantastic security blanket for the majority of hearing aid users. Just another thing to consider when we embark on the next step in this journey.