Getting Used to Hearing Aids

So, you’ve finally got hearing aids. Cue the applause—from actual people this time, not just your inner monologue. But if you thought you’d put them in and suddenly hear like a golden retriever, think again. Getting used to hearing aids is a process—one filled with tiny triumphs, awkward moments, and maybe a few hissy fits (from the hearing aids, not you).

At Injoy Hearing, we know this journey can be frustrating. We also know it can be life-changing. Here’s your roadmap for adjusting to your new hearing sidekicks like a seasoned pro.

First, Let’s Get One Thing Straight: Hearing Aids Are Not Glasses

Glasses give you immediate clarity. Hearing aids? Not so much. That’s because your brain has to reboot its hearing software. Sound pathways that have been on vacation are suddenly back to work, and your brain’s not thrilled about the overtime.

According to a PubMed study, auditory rehabilitation involves your brain relearning how to filter and prioritize sounds. This doesn’t happen overnight. But with the right steps, it can happen faster than you think.

The Five Essential Ingredients for Hearing Aid Success

Adjusting to hearing aids isn’t a one-and-done deal. It takes commitment. Here are five things you absolutely need:

• Acceptance: Recognize that hearing loss is permanent. These devices are here to help.
• A Positive Attitude: Believe that you can improve your hearing experience.
• Education: Understand your hearing aid’s features and how they help your brain process sound.
• Realistic Expectations: You’re not getting superpowers—you’re getting support. Better, not perfect.
• Practice and Patience: The more you wear them, the faster you adjust. Consistency is key.

Compare popular hearing aids like the Starkey Edge AI vs. the Phonak Sphere Infinio. 

A Week-by-Week Timeline to Hearing Aid Mastery

Everyone adjusts to hearing aids at a different pace, but a weekly guide can help you stay on track. This progressive timeline walks you through building confidence and skills with your hearing aids over the first month—and sets you up for success.

Week 1: Embrace the Weirdness

Your mission? Get used to having something in your ears and hearing all sorts of sounds again.

• Wear time: Start with 2–4 hours a day in quiet settings.
• Best locations: Your living room, bedroom, or any calm, familiar environment.
• What to expect: Your voice may sound strange. Everyday sounds (footsteps, fridge, keys) might seem loud. That’s normal.

• Daily exercises: Read aloud to yourself. Watch TV with captions. Keep a sound journal of what stands out.
• Pro tip: Don’t rush it. Short sessions with breaks are better than overdoing it and quitting.

Week 2: Build Confidence

With your brain warming up, it’s time to add more real-life activity.

• Wear time: Increase to 6–8 hours daily, indoors and out.
• Best locations: Include walks in the park, grocery stores, or sitting outside.
• New challenges: Your voice should start sounding more normal. Begin practicing conversations with one person in a quiet place.
• Daily exercises: Try identifying the source of sounds. Listen to audiobooks while reading along. Practice lip reading and body language awareness.
• Pro tip: Let someone else set your TV or speaker volume. Their “normal” is your new goal.

Week 3: Enter the Wild

Time to leave the bubble and see how your hearing aids handle the real world.

• Wear time: 10–12 hours per day or more.
• Best locations: Busy cafes, the mall, church services, and small group conversations.
• What to expect: Sounds will still feel exaggerated in noisy environments. Use app features or directional microphones to focus in.
• Daily exercises: Engage in group conversation. Sit in different areas of a room to test sound direction.
• Pro tip: Use your hearing aid’s environment settings or smartphone app to personalize your experience.

Explore how to exercise with hearing aids. 

Week 4: Fine-Tuning and Full-Time Use

You’re well on your way to becoming a confident hearing aid user. Time to go all in.

• Wear time: All waking hours—morning to bedtime.
• Best locations: Anywhere and everywhere, including noisy restaurants and events.
• What to expect: Most sounds will feel familiar. You’ll still benefit from occasional fine-tuning.
• Daily exercises: Practice focusing on one speaker in a crowd. Try background music and see how it blends in.
• Pro tip: If anything still feels “off,” now is the time to schedule a professional adjustment.

After Week 4: Your New Normal

• Sounds will become more natural.
• Voices, background noise, and your own speech will all blend more smoothly.
• You’ll reach a point where you forget you’re even wearing hearing aids—until you take them out and realize what you’ve been missing.

Remember: every day you wear your hearing aids is a win. And if you purchased your devices from Injoy Hearing, we’re here to support you with fine-tuning, check-ins, and expert advice along the way.

Sound Overload: Why It Happens and What to Do About It

New hearing aid users often report being overwhelmed by background noise. That’s normal. You’re hearing the world in HD after years of lo-fi.

To manage it:

• Wear your hearing aids at home first.
• Use the volume control or pre-set modes.
• Gradually expose yourself to busier places.
• Let your brain re-learn how to filter unnecessary noise.

If the overwhelm doesn’t fade, that’s a good sign your devices may need fine-tuning.

Training Your Brain: Tips to Accelerate Adaptation

Your ears may deliver sound, but your brain does all the heavy lifting when it comes to understanding it. That’s why hearing aids require more than just physical wear—they require mental work. Like learning a new language or skill, the more practice you give your brain, the faster it adapts to the new soundscape.

Why Brain Training Matters

Hearing loss causes the brain to reduce activity in sound-processing regions. Once hearing aids start delivering sound again, these dormant pathways are reactivated. But reactivation takes effort. Your brain needs time to relearn what’s important, what to ignore, and how to interpret subtle auditory cues like tone and direction.

Proven Ways to Accelerate Adaptation

Here are some smart ways to support your brain during this re-learning phase:

• Use closed captions: Watching TV or streaming shows with subtitles helps your brain connect spoken language with visual words. This speeds up speech recognition.
• Read aloud to yourself: This helps normalize your own voice and improves feedback between your mouth and ears. Bonus: it’s a great excuse to re-read your favorite book.
• Listen and read simultaneously: Pair an audiobook with the print or digital version. Reading while listening reinforces comprehension and rewires auditory memory.
• Practice conversations: Start one-on-one, then slowly introduce group settings. Focus on following tone, body language, and facial expressions. These cues help your brain put sound in context.
• Identify sound direction: Sit in different parts of the room. Try to pinpoint where each sound originates. This improves your spatial hearing and confidence in real-world environments.
• Let others set the volume: What sounds “normal” to you may be too loud. Have someone with good hearing help set the TV or speaker volume.
• Use smartphone apps: If your hearing aids come with a companion app (like myPhonak or My Starkey), explore the features. These tools allow you to adjust settings in real time, helping your brain adapt faster to complex environments.
• Play sound games: From white noise identification to audio-based brain teasers, games can challenge your brain in fun and productive ways.

Find out more about hearing aid apps. 

Tips for Consistency

• Set aside 10–15 minutes daily for focused listening exercises.
• Journal what sounds are easier to understand and which are still difficult.
• Celebrate small wins, like recognizing background music or hearing a whisper.

Training your brain is just as important as wearing your hearing aids. Stay consistent, curious, and patient. Over time, your hearing will feel more natural, and you’ll rely less on lip reading or guesswork.

Don’t Panic: Common Symptoms During the Adjustment Period

Let’s get real—wearing hearing aids for the first time can feel like your ears joined a rock band without asking you first. You’re not imagining the weirdness. That sensory overload, strange echo of your own voice, and that little itch in your ear? Totally normal.

Here are the most common symptoms new users report—and what to do about them:

• Tiredness and mental fatigue:

  Your brain is suddenly working overtime to process sounds it hasn’t heard in years. Give it a break. Start slow and build up your daily wear time. Short breaks are okay, but don’t give up completely.

• Headaches or tension:

  This often happens during the first few days of adjustment. The added effort of listening can cause strain. Hydrate, rest, and talk to your hearing care provider if it persists.

• Background noise irritation:

  Your brain used to filter out the hum of appliances and rustling papers. Now it’s relearning what’s important. This overload usually fades within the first couple of weeks.

• Your own voice sounds weird:

  Like voicemail-weird. You’re not used to hearing yourself clearly. The more you wear your hearing aids, the more natural your voice will sound.

• Itchy ears:

  Hearing aids take up space your ears aren’t used to. If the itch doesn’t stop after a few days, your domes or shells may need adjusting. Don’t suffer—reach out to your hearing care provider.

• Occasional whistling (feedback):

  This can be caused by poor fit, earwax, or positioning. If adjusting placement doesn’t help, your devices might need fine-tuning.

• Emotional frustration or discouragement:

  Don’t be surprised if you feel a little off. This is a major change. You’re not just hearing more—you’re learning how to interpret and manage it all again.

Tips to ease the transition:

• Take breaks as needed, but resume wearing your hearing aids as soon as you feel ready.
• Keep a journal of what’s bothering you. This helps your provider make accurate adjustments.
• Talk to friends or family who wear hearing aids. Their advice and reassurance can go a long way.

Remember, your brain is adapting to years of lost sound input. These discomforts are part of the rewiring process—and they are temporary.

If any of these symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks or interfere with daily life, contact your hearing care provider. And if you purchased your hearing aids from Injoy Hearing, our remote care team is ready to help fine-tune your experience.

You’re not alone. You’re adjusting. And every step forward is one closer to hearing the world as it’s meant to be.

Understand more about sensorineural hearing loss treatment. 

Hearing Aid Maintenance 101

Your hearing aids are tiny computers that live in your ears. And like any tech, they need care to stay sharp, safe, and working well. Daily maintenance isn’t just about hygiene—it’s about performance and longevity.

Here’s how to keep your hearing aids clean, comfortable, and capable:

• Wipe them down every day.

  Use a soft, dry cloth. Avoid wipes with alcohol or chemicals.

• Clean the microphone ports gently.

  Use the brush that came with your hearing aids. Always brush outward, not inward.

• Clear wax from the receiver daily.

  A wax pick or loop can gently remove buildup. Wax is the #2 cause of hearing aid failure, right after dead batteries.

• Leave the battery door open overnight.

  If your device uses disposable batteries, this preserves battery life and allows moisture to escape.

• Use a hearing aid dryer.

  If you live in a humid climate—or sweat a lot—a dehumidifier or drying case will be your best friend.

• Recharge regularly.

  If your hearing aids are rechargeable, place them in their charger every night to start fresh the next day.

• Avoid water and chemicals.

  Never wear hearing aids in the shower, pool, or sauna. And definitely don’t clean them with household sprays or wet cloths.

• Keep them away from heat and pets.

  Dogs love to chew on hearing aids. And extreme heat can fry circuits. Store them in a cool, dry place.

• Check tubing and domes.

  Look for cracks, discoloration, or hardened parts. These components may need periodic replacement.

• Replace filters and wax guards as needed.

  These tiny parts protect the inner workings of your hearing aids. Swap them out regularly—your hearing care provider can show you how.

Sticking to this routine keeps your hearing aids functioning like they should. The better you care for them, the better they’ll care for you.

How Long Until You Get Used to Hearing Aids?

On average, the adjustment period takes one to three months. But with daily use, some users feel comfortable within two weeks. Think of it like starting a new workout routine. At first, you’re sore and cranky. Then you feel amazing.

Factors that affect adjustment speed:

• How consistently you wear your hearing aids
• Whether they’re professionally programmed
• Your level of hearing loss
• Your motivation and support system

Getting Help Makes a Difference

Talk to someone who’s been through it. Ask questions. Share frustrations. Most importantly, talk to your hearing care provider. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t tough it out. Adjustments are part of the process.

If you bought your hearing aids from Injoy Hearing, you can reach our licensed professionals for remote fine-tuning, troubleshooting, and personalized advice.

Injoy Hearing Is With You Every Step

We make hearing aids simple, affordable, and supportive. When you order from Injoy Hearing, you don’t just get premium devices—you get expert guidance, fast delivery, and adjustments from licensed providers who know what they’re doing.

We offer:

• High-tech, prescription-grade hearing aids
• Remote hearing care from licensed professionals
• Quick shipping and a 45-day risk-free trial
• Honest advice and unmatched service

Ready to actually enjoy your hearing aids? Contact Injoy Hearing today. We’ll help you get comfortable, confident, and back to hearing the life you love.