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Living
With Your New Hearing Aid |
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hearing aid is an aid to better hearing, not a cure for hearing
loss. People often have unrealistic hopes about their hearing aid
and are disappointed when it fails to restore perfect hearing.
Getting the most out of your new hearing aid means acquiring two
new skills: learning how to use the hearing aid and learning new
ways to hear. It takes effort to learn these new skills, but once
mastered, they can help you overcome a hearing loss and open your
way to a more active, enjoyable, and rewarding life.
Adjusting
To a New World of Sound
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- In
the first week with your hearing aid, you'll be
listening to the many strange, often loud, new
sounds around you, including your own voice.
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Many ordinary sounds and noises you may not have
heard in years can seem unusually loud and sharp.
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-to-one chats with friends and
family. Gradually move to more difficult situations, such as
talking with more than one person.
Realize
that making adjustments to the noise in restaurants,
auditoriums, and parties will take time.
Hearing
loss often occurs slowly. Adjusting to your new hearing aid
also takes time. It may take up to six months for you to
achieve the full benefits offered by your hearing aid.
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Learning New Ways to Hear
It's not easy to concentrate on a conversation in the midst
of distracting background noise. Getting the most from your
hearing aid means learning new ways to listen
- and not always with your ears. Your audiologist or hearing
aid specialist can recommend classes in auditory or aural
rehabilitation (training to improve your hearing by learning
new listening techniques). For example, you'll learn to pick out
speech against background noise by watching the speaker's moving
lips, facial gestures, and body motions.
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Tips for Better Listening
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Start the conversation. Don't wait for others to speak to you
first.
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Move closer and position yourself so that the speaker's face
is well lighted and you can easily see it clearly.
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Watch the speaker's face, lips, and gestures for clues to
what's being said.
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Relax. Don't strain to hear every word. People with normal
hearing miss words and "fill in" from surrounding
sentences.
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Enlist the support of your family and friends during your
adjustment period.
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Install a telephone amplifier at home.
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Wear your hearing aid. The more you use it, the better your
results will be.
Better Communication
Skills
An
aural rehabilitation class provides an opportunity to resolve any
remaining problems you may have with your hearing aid. These
classes also offer counseling and support to help you and your
family cope with the psychological and emotional aspects of
hearing loss.
Hints for Your Family and Friends
- Speak
at a normal level. The hearing aid will amplify voices.
- Talk
naturally and distinctly.
- Don't
chew or smoke when speaking.
- Don't
let your hands hide your mouth
and
face.
- Turn
off the radio or TV. Background
noise
is distracting.
- Get
the listener's attention before speaking. You may not be
heard when speaking from another room or if the listener is
near a source of noise.
- Talk
face to face. Lip movement, facial expression, and gestures
are an important part of conversation.
- If
you're misunderstood, rephrase your comments. Don't repeat the
same words.
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This
information is not intended as a substitute for professional health
care. (c)1995, 1998 The StayWell Company, 1100 Grundy Lane, San Bruno, CA
94066-3030. (800) 333-3032. All rights reserved. Lithographed in Canada.
Krames Communications. Consultants: Philip Bartlett, MD
Lawrence M. Eng, MS, CCC-A Contributions By Robert Harris, MD
Alison Grimes, MA CCC-A |
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