Start Slowly

The single biggest determinant of success is your attitude toward your new hearing instruments. In the beginning, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to wear them consistently, and work with them in a variety of situations.

Start by wearing your hearing instruments just a few hours a day, and only in familiar, quiet surroundings where you can identify and locate simple background sounds—a door closing, water running—that you may not have heard for awhile. It can and will take time to adjust to the feeling of hearing instruments in your ears, as well as to the new sound quality.

Remember that overexposure to new stimuli can result in fatigue, discomfort and disappointment—all factors that can actually slow down the learning process. After a few weeks, you should be able to wear your hearing instruments routinely without undue fatigue or tension. Then you can gradually begin wearing them in more complex hearing environments, such as work or social occasions.