Issue 3 PDF Download - Oticon

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S O U N D A D V I C E M A G A Z I N E 2 0 0 3
train your brain
Very few people are able to adjust to new hearing
aids immediately. Hearing is a very complex
system that starts in the outer ear, where sound is
captured, and ends in the brain where all the information
is stored, decoded, and transformed into
something we can understand. With hearing aids,
the brain registers so many new sounds that the
initial adjustment period can be quite tiring. It’s a
bit like training a muscle that hasn’t been used for a
long time. but what a difference it makes when you
finally regain that lost strength!
When you first get new instruments you should
start slowly. It doesn’t take long before they can
be worn comfortably all day. Just as a personal
trainer would offer guidance during fitness sessions,
a hearing care professional can be of similar
assistance during consultations. They can offer
good advice when it comes to people’s expectations
and experiences. They can also put new hearing
aid users in touch with others who have dealt with
similar situations. There’s a whole community of
experienced users out there!
help from the professionals
Hearing care professionals are highly qualified
at guiding people through the adjustment process.
With hearing aids, listening becomes much
easier most of the time. However, noisy environments
can still present a challenge. During followup
appointments, hearing care professionals can
provide practical recommendations about how to
cope in difficult listening situations. They can also
make adjustments to the hearing aid settings if
necessary.