Hearing Aids -- What to expect

Knowing what to expect from hearing aids can ensure your maximum satisfaction with them.

• With hearing aids, you should be able to hear many sounds that you can't hear without them. You should notice improved hearing in many situations important to you.
• Hearing aids help many people hear better, but they don't restore normal hearing.
• Hearing aids should always be comfortable. Re-fitting may be needed, at times, to get a perfect fit.
• Hearing aids won't allow you to hear everything in every situation. Even people with normal hearing miss things at times.
• Hearing loss occurs gradually. Learning to hear sounds again with hearing aids is also a gradual process.
• At first, sounds may seem unnatural. As the brain adjusts to hearing again, over time, things will sound more natural.
• The adjustment period usually lasts a few weeks, and can take up to a few months.
• Part of the fitting process is fine tuning your instruments to your particular hearing needs. This usually happens over several sessions, after you’ve had opportunities to wear the aids in different environments and provide feedback to your hearing care professional about your experiences.