Curling up on the couch with a warm blanket and a big bucket of popcorn to watch your favorite movie makes for the perfect evening. One thing that can turn your evening from perfect to perfect and beneficial is to wear your hearing aids during TV time.
The first few weeks with hearing aids can be full of surprises. Sounds you haven’t noticed in a long time, like birds in Charter Oak Park, the hum of the refrigerator or footsteps across the floor, may suddenly grab your attention. That’s completely normal. Your hearing aids are doing their job, and your brain is learning to process those sounds again.
Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to do anything complicated to help the adjustment period along. Watching TV is a fun way for the approximately 15% of U.S. adults with hearing loss[1] to get used to their hearing aids.
Why Television Works So Well
Television exposes you to a wide range of voices and sound environments. A morning news broadcast sounds very different from a cooking competition, a drama series or a live sporting event. That variety encourages your brain to recognize speech even when background noise competes for your attention.
If conversations on TV feel challenging at first, try turning on closed captions. Reading along while you listen helps reinforce speech patterns and can make it easier to understand dialogue over time.
Stay Consistent
TV gives your ears regular opportunities to listen in familiar settings. Wearing your hearing aids consistently and gradually challenging yourself with different types of TV programming can help make everyday conversations in the real world feel easier.
As your brain adjusts, you’ll likely notice that understanding family, friends and coworkers feels a lot easier.
Every hearing journey is unique, and it’s normal to have questions as you settle into your new devices. If you’d like tips for getting the most benefit from your hearing aids, contact our hearing specialists at Sound Advice Audiology for help.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Quick statistics about hearing, balance, & dizziness. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing