If you’ve taken the first step toward better hearing by investing in hearing aids, you deserve to be congratulated. But satisfaction is not guaranteed by a simple purchase.
To understand and communicate effectively, you must learn to be a good listener and to control your environment to help compensate for your hearing loss—even while wearing hearing devices.
To maximize the benefit you receive from your hearing aids, adopt these good communication habits:
- Commit to wearing your hearing aids: You must become accustomed to hearing sounds you may not have heard for a long time. You may initially find certain sounds irritating, but your brain will adjust in time, and they’ll become normal. Do not stop wearing your hearing devices during this adjustment period. Be patient and focus on your commitment to your hearing health.
- Show off your hearing aids: Inform others you are wearing hearing devices. Give them guidance to allow you to communicate effectively. You must face the listener when you talk, tell them to speak louder or move the conversation to another room if the environment is too noisy.
Control your environment. If you know you will be in a situation where background noise will interfere with your ability to communicate effectively, formulate a plan. For example, if you plan on dining with friends, look at a restaurant’s menu online beforehand and decide what you want, eliminating your need to ask the server to repeat menu choices. Arrive early to find seating away from sources of background noise. - Make eye contact: You will discover communication improves when you can evaluate and interpret body language and facial expressions.
- Practice your listening skills: Listen to the radio or audiobooks. You can also purchase auditory rehabilitative software for your computer to practice listening with background noise.
- Be patient: In time, listening with hearing devices will become second nature, and you will be rewarded with the joy of hearing all the sounds of life!