New hearing aids? It’s supposed to be an exciting time but it’s usually full of discomfort and adjustment. I recently blogged about switching to Phonak water resistant behind the ear hearing aids. When I got them, we programmed them and I took them home. New hearing aids usually make the world sound foreign and strange, so I was prepared for that. What I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that the hearing aids weren’t reducing background noise. This is the main benefit of my previous hearing aids- they reduced background noise and amplified conversation. I rode on the subway with the Phonak aids and felt like I was on a rollercoaster. The machinery noises overpowered the conversation of my friends and I felt out of place. At the movies, the new hearing aids did amplify sound well and I think I was able to hear better. Otherwise, the Phonak aids weren’t going to work for my everyday life because most of life revolves around conversation and talking.
Another issue was the placement of the hearing aid behind the ear. I thought they were going to be like my old hearing aids when I was young. These aids went all the way behind the ear and were kind of long. The Phonak aids were short and sat almost on top of my ear. I had gotten them in a clear color which I thought was going to look really cool- see through, yeah! But it looked weird sitting on top of my ear. So I’m getting them re-cased in black so they’ll blend in with my hair. After that, we’re going to re-program them and see if we can improve the sound experience. I really want to like the new hearing aids, and I really want them to work for my life. Until, then I’ve got my trusty Widex ones to hold me over. Maybe one day I’ll invest in these amazing iPhone compatible aids that are soon to be released. These utilize the iPhone as the transmitter- no intermediaries or neck loops needed. Very cool!!!
What have been your experiences when getting new hearing aids? How have you managed the transition?
P.S. Grad school has taken over my life, but I don’t want to let this blog fade away. Hopefully I’ll be posting more soon.
@CatarinaRivera 
My wife is deaf on her right side ear, What do you recommend in a case like that, so that she can almost hear what’s being said to her right?
Thanks for the comment, Fausto. Your wife should be seen by an audiologist to determine the best course of action. Depending on her level of hearing loss, there would be different recommendations. If you have moderate to severe hearing loss like myself, hearing aids will work well. For more profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant should be investigated. Good luck!
I did fine with hearing aids for many years until I needed to implant. But agree, only an audiologist can make the proper recommendations.