Getting hearing aids for the first time? You need to know before getting your first pair of hearing aids.

Getting hearing aids for the first time?

You need to know before getting your first pair of hearing aids.

    Hearing related information to help make you a better informed consumer.I hope you're into that imformation.

    With new improvements in technology and with devices that are smaller than ever,more and more people are taking the important first step to treating their hearing loss with their first set of hearing aids.

    But as with anything else that is new,not knowing what to expect can be intimidating.That's why I createda list of seven things to let you know what to expect when treating your hearing loss with your first set of hearing aids.

    Number one, expect your fitting appointment to take at least an hour.While your hearing care professional should be keeping your initial fitting appointment relatively short,it still takes a lot of time to properly fit and program your hearing aids up to your hearing loss prescription.It's also gonna take them time to go over the basics of what you need to know in order to get you through that first week.

    The second thing you need to know about your first set of hearing aids is that people probably won't notice them.There is a psychological phenomenon called the spotlight effect.This is where you perceive other people to be noticing things about you more than they actually are.

    And with hearing aids getting so small,even for individuals with a severe hearing loss,it is unlikely that people will really be noticing your hearing aids at all.The only thing that they'll likely be noticing is that you're hearing them much better.

    The third thing you need to know is that things will sound different.Yes, while you should be receiving substantial improvement in your speech clarity when people are talking to you,there are certain things that you might even find annoying that you'll be hearing more of,such as the toilet flushing,the faucet running,that sound of crinkling paper.But don't worry.Over time, those things will get better.

    Number four, you may hear yourself differently.Chances are you haven't heard yourself normally in a long time.This is because your auditory feedback loop is broken when you have a hearing loss.Now, if your hearing loss was bad enough,the chances are as you've been increasing the volume of your own voice to make it sound more normal to yourself,all while making other people feel like you're yelling at them.

    Now, you may not like the sound of your own voice when you get your first set of hearing aids,but it only takes a few days to a few weeks of your brain to get used to the sound of your own voice,and it just becomes your new normal.

    The fifth thing you need to know about your first set of hearing aids is that you'll probably forget that you're even wearing them.

Whether you're getting in the ear hearing aids or behind the ear hearing aids,the chances are is that they'll end up being so comfortable that you'll forget that you're even wearing them.

    This is true for in the ear hearing aids and behind the ear hearing aids alike.Even if you have a custom ear mold,it may take a few times to get it modified the right way to where it makes it extremely comfortable for you,but eventually you'll end up doing silly things like getting into the shower with your hearing aids on and even going to sleep with your hearing aids on.The hearing aids might also tickle a little bit at first,but that generally subsides within a few days to a few weeks.

    Alright, moving on to number six,which is you should be expecting to go in to see your hearing care professional several times after they first fit you with your devices.

    Getting your first set of hearing aids should not be a one and done single visit situation.You should be going in multiple times to see that hearing care professional to make sure that you're adapting correctly and to make sure that they're maximizing the performance of those devices.

    One thing they should be doing is a measurable outcome both before your hearing aids and after your hearing aids so they can show you on a scale how much improvement you're actually receiving with those hearing aids.

    And last but not least, the seventh thing that you should expect with your first set of hearing aids is that you should be hearing better.

    If you truly are a candidate for hearing aids and your hearing care professional is fitting them and programming them correctly,there is no reason why you shouldn't be receiving clear benefit from your new hearing aids.Perhaps the single most important factor that will determine your success with your first set of hearing aids is if you had real ear measures performed on them.