37
• We hear in our brain, not in our ears. It will take your
brain some time to fully adapt to the new sounds
you are hearing. It is not unusual, for example, to
hear certain sounds, such as your own footsteps, or
a newspaper rustling, or the refrigerator humming,
that people with normal hearing take for granted and
thus don’t consciously process. Be patient and allow
yourself a few weeks to adapt. Your brain will learn
to ignore them if they are not important. Of course,
if sounds are too loud or uncomfortable for you,
contact your hearing care professional.
• Conversational speech has many redundant cues.
Worrying about a word you may have missed will
likely lead to additional missed words. Focus on
the essence of the conversation. It may help to ask
someone you are comfortable with to subtly alert you
about the overall topic when listening in groups.
• Before going to a restaurant, call ahead and request
a seat away from the kitchen or bar area. Remember
that in noisy places, even normal hearing people may
struggle to hear.
For more activities, training materials, and helpful com-
munication hints please go to www.widex.com.
