Imagine that it's your birthday and you are at your favorite Italian restaurant that serves all of the entrees home-style.  The eight friends and family members celebrating with you are gathered around a large round table, talking and laughing as food and wine are passed.  You are excited because not only have you managed to survive another year but you also just received your brand-new, top-of-the-line, works-well-in-background-noise amplification devices!  So why in the world are you having such a difficult time hearing everyone?!?

Technology in hearing devices is something that is constantly evolving.  However, it is important to remember that even the best technology is never going to match the hearing you had when you were in your twenties.  Luckily, there are many strategies that you can incorporate into your daily activities to maximize the performance of your hearing instruments, especially in noisy environments:

·         When possible, position yourself so that the background noise really is in the background.  If your seat of honor during your birthday dinner is giving you a front-row seat to the entire restaurant and the open kitchen where there are pots clanging, grills sizzling, and people conversing, chances are your hearing instruments are going to pick up on most of that.  By choosing a spot at the table that allows you to put most of the restaurant to your back, you can reduce a lot of this unnecessary noise and focus on the conversation at your table.

·         Be mindful of the busiest times at a restaurant.  If your birthday dinner is at 6:30 on a Friday evening, your Italian restaurant is sure to be packed with patrons.  By making your reservations for either before or after the dinner rush, you will be able to take advantage of a quieter environment.  You will be able to focus on the conversations around the table without straining to hear over the conversations from surrounding tables. 

·         Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.  The adjustment period for hearing instruments does not happen overnight, unfortunately.  Sure, you will notice an improvement in volume and clarity, but there are a lot of sounds that your brain may not have heard for quite some time.  On average, it will take your brain a full three to six months to completely adapt to all of the new sounds coming in.  During this period, the brain will relearn how to focus on the important sounds as well as what sounds do not need your attention right at that moment.  If you need to, ask someone around you how they are hearing in that situation.  Is Cousin Mary always so soft-spoken or do you need a bit more volume?  Does the weatherman really talk so fast or is it you?  Bouncing things off of others will help you gauge the effectiveness of your new hearing instruments.

As you blow out the candle on your birthday tiramisu, keep in the back of your mind what went well at dinner tonight and what could have been better.  Remember, the only way the audiologist can tweak your instruments for you next week is if you are open and honest about your listening experiences!