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Learn All About It
Take some time while purchasing your hearing aid to learn everything you can about it from your audiologist. Practice replacing the batteries, cleaning the hearing aid, and (if needed) distinguishing the left hearing aid from the right.
Test it Out
Cells phones can interfere with hearing aids. It is a good idea to take your cell phone with you to test it on a new hearing aid. Using a hearing aid will change how your own voice sounds to you, too. Most users get used to the change with time and no longer notice it. If not, your audiologist may be able to make an adjustment.
Learn to Adjust
Learn how to adjust your hearing aid for different situations, like a loud room. You may want to ask if you can walk outside where there is traffic, or have someone talk to you, before leaving with your new hearing aid.
Don’t Overdo It
Some people find hearing aids uncomfortable at first. Ask how long you should wear your hearing aid each day while you are adjusting. Depending on the type of hearing aid you have, it may take a few days or more to become used to wearing a hearing aid.
Keep it Clean
If you hear a whistling noise or feedback, it could mean that your hearing aid does not fit properly or is clogged with earwax or fluid. Clean your hearing aid well. If that doesn’t fix it, take it back for an adjustment.
Practice Listening
Even though hearing aids improve your hearing, they do not bring it back to normal. By combining use of a hearing aid with improvements in your communication skills, you can better understand people when they are talking with you. Start by always facing someone who is talking to you and asking them to rephrase, not just repeat what they say. Learn more tips, and share them with those you speak with regularly.
Start Slowly
If you get a new hearing aid and instantly go into a complex sound environment (like a restaurant), you may feel confused and frustrated. Spend some time getting used to how the hearing aid changes the sounds you hear while at home before using it in a public situation. Start by listening to a TV or radio--the sounds are simpler.
Remove It
In some settings, hearings aids just do not work well. If background noise is too loud, consider removing your hearing aid. This may help more than keep the hearing aid in your ear.
Source: National Institutes of Health. Hearing Aid Basics. NIH Pub. No. 99-4340
