What can I expect in the first few weeks?
Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, your surroundings might sound muffled, or there might be certain sounds you’re missing. With a hearing aid, things will change abruptly. At first, everyday noises may sound surprisingly loud. Your own voice might sound strange, and even familiar noises might seem different.
Wearing a new hearing aid takes a bit of getting used to. Your ears need to get used to the sensation of wearing a hearing aid, and your brain suddenly has to start perceiving and processing many different sounds again. It might be a little while since you last heard the full range of sounds. Many of the background noises that people without hearing loss have learned to ignore will sound new to you, so to begin with, you’ll find them more tricky to shut out.
While you’re familiarising yourself with the new sounds around you, your brain will be relearning how to suppress background noise and focus on important sounds. But don’t worry – after a little while, you won’t even notice that you’re wearing a hearing aid.