What to Expect When Getting Hearing Aids For The First Time

Getting hearing aids for the first time is a new and life-changing experience. From navigating the fitting process to exploring novel sounds, understanding what to expect can foster a more positive experience.

At Nano Hearing Aids, we’re dedicated to helping people just like you adapt to your new hearing aids. This guide will tell you what you can expect, ensuring that the transition is not only seamless but also marks the beginning of a clearer, more vibrant auditory experience.

When you first start wearing your hearing aids, you may notice changes in your auditory perception. When it comes to capturing and transmitting sounds, hearing aids work differently than your ears. Sound must first be captured by a microphone, before being converted to a signal for the speaker. You may notice:

1. Louder Sounds

One of the most common experiences people have with new hearing aids is loud sounds. When you experience hearing loss, your brain may adapt to a quieter world.

However, now that you can hear sounds more efficiently, it takes time to adjust. Think of it like spending hours in a dark room and then going outside. Just as your eyes need to adjust to the light, your ears need to adjust to the sound.

It can take between 3 to 6 months to fully adapt to sound volume. If sound loudness becomes too unpleasant it’s important to contact your hearing healthcare professional, or Customer Support at Nano Hearing Aids. They can help you adjust the volume on your device.

2. Clearer Sounds

Many sounds, especially speech and high-pitched noises, will start to sound much clearer. Conversations before that sounded quiet, muffled, or slurred will start to sound much crisper, and be easier to understand. High-pitched sounds like bird calls will be audible once more.

Hearing these sounds more clearly will be one of the most exciting things you experience within the first few weeks of wearing your hearing aids, even if they don’t quite sound “normal” yet.

3. Unfamiliar Sounds

It’s also normal for sounds to appear distorted, unfamiliar, or unnatural within the first few weeks. During the brain’s initial adjustment period, previously familiar sounds may seem distorted by the amplification process. For these sounds to sound normal once again, your brain must acclimate to the new auditory input.

For example, the sound of your own voice is picked up very close to your hearing aid. Between the resulting loudness and unfamiliarity, you can expect a somewhat jarring experience. You might feel like you’re yelling when you aren’t, or that it sounds like you’re talking into a large barrel.

Over time, the brain learns to interpret the amplified sounds more seamlessly. Within a few weeks of regular wearing, any sounds that felt unfamiliar at first should return to their previously recognizable state.

4. Spacial Awareness

When you wear your new hearing aids you’ll start to pick up on sounds that are key to understanding your surroundings. More specifically, you’ll notice the specific direction and location of the sounds around you.

This is not only useful for identifying your environment, but also plays a crucial role in your safety. Special awareness allows you to notice potential threats, such as moving cars, barking dogs, and more, so you can avoid putting yourself in vulnerable positions.

5. Background Noise

Depending on the type of hearing aid, you may notice more or less background noise. Hearing aids are efficient at picking up sounds, so it might be difficult to hear clearly in noisy environments until you’ve adapted.

However, many modern hearing aids are designed to reduce background noise and enhance speech recognition. Directional microphones, noise reduction algorithms, and processing capabilities help isolate and prioritize speech over background noise. When using modern hearing aids, you may find that desired sounds are far clearer in noisy environments.

When you wear your hearing aids regularly, you may be surprised by how quickly you can adapt. Shortly after a brief adjustment period, people experience a renewed connection to a world full of clear sounds.

With this fresh perspective, you can start to more thoroughly enjoy activities like:

When you get hearing aids for the first time, it’s important to incorporate regular cleaning and other care practices into your schedule. These practices will ensure proper sound quality and extend the lifespan of your hearing aids. Here are cleaning and care routines you should expect:

• Clean hearing aids before putting them on in the morning or after you take them off at night.
• Thoroughly clean wax and other debris off the shell, microphone, and speaker of your hearing aid at least once per week.
• Recharge your hearing batteries daily or weekly, depending on the battery life. Or, if using disposable batteries, replace dead hearing aid batteries immediately.
• Avoid environments with extreme temperatures.
• Always prevent your hearing aids from getting wet.
• Keep your hearing aids out of reach of children and pets
• Avoid using personal care products around your hearing aids (e.g. hairspray, blow dryer, etc.)

Knowing about these cleaning and care processes allows you to practice them. Once they become second nature, you can expect your hearing aids to last longer and give you the highest quality hearing experience.