How do I get the best results from my hearing aid?

While great advances are being made in hearing aid technology, particularly with the introduction of digital aids, care and time needs to be taken to ensure your hearing aid settings are correct.

Hearing aids are very sophisticated pieces of machinery and it will take time for your ears to adjust to hearing improved sounds. To get the best out of them, you may need several appontments with an audiologist. You will need to give the audiologist the right information at each appointment, to ensure your hearing aids are adjusted as well as possible to suit your needs.

You should remember that hearings aids are only an aid to hearing and will not restore perfect hearing. Deterioration occurs within the ear, so the ear can no longer separate sounds effectively. Therefore, even using the most advanced technology available today, hearing cannot be fully restored.

Your hearing aid will amplify voices and sounds and you will be able to hear voices better in quiet places. It will allow you to hear sounds you may not have heard for a long time, which will take time to get used to. It is important to continue wearing the aid so that you become accustomed to the new or louder sounds - keep working at it.

You may find that you can hear quiet background sounds, such as noise from electric fans, which may initially be annoying. Remember that people with normal hearing may be annoyed by these sounds too, and the ability to hear soft sounds will be helpful when you are trying to understand quiet speech.

Remember to be patient as it will take time to get used to the new sounds in quiet situations. Don't try your aid out in noisy situations until your ears have had time to adjust.

Once you have your aid

• Take things slowly. Allow sufficient time for your ears to adjust to your hearing aid - both to the earmould and the new sounds you will hear.
• In the first few weeks, try out your hearing aid in a wide range of situations and locations to test how it is working. First try your hearing aid out in quiet situations, such as one-on-one conversations until you are accustomed to the new sounds. Then try it in noisier environments such as a busy road or restaurant. These are only general guidelines. Your audiologist may recommend a slightly different approach to trying out your hearing aid.
• Here are five situations where you need to try your new hearing aid:
  1. In the quiet of your home
  2. In conversation with another person in a quiet room
  3. Listening to the radio or television
  4. In group conversations
  5. Using the telephone
• Do not give up. If it is taking time to get used to your hearing aid, continue to try it in quiet places as well as noisier environments.
• Many audiology services also offer ongoing hearing therapy for people who would like further help with managing their hearing loss. This may include counselling, advice on equipment to help with things like the TV and the telephone, and information on other sources of help.
• If you are still having trouble after your second appointment, get another appointment to see your audiologist.