When you suffer from hearing loss, hearing aids can allow you to enjoy the world again. But they do take some getting used to! Don't despair, and don't give up. The challenges you're facing as you adapt to hearing aids are not unique. Most other hearing aid users go through the same things. Here is a look at some of the most common challenges and how to address them.

1. You have trouble hearing in busy places.

When you first start wearing hearing aids in public, the noise may be overwhelming. You might have trouble discerning between the sounds of people talking to you and the background noise. The best way to address this is to turn your hearing aids down a little when you're in a busy place. Ask people with you to avoid discussing anything serious and important until you're in a spot where it is quieter. Over time, you will get better at discerning between the background noise and foreground speech, and this won't be such an issue.

2. Wax keeps building up on your hearing aids.

Do you notice that wax keeps accumulating on the microphone and interfering with your ability to hear through the hearing aids? The best way to address this is to wipe the hearing aids down with a cleaning cloth each night. Use cleaning cloths that contain alcohol for best results. You should also ask about having your ears cleaned by your doctor. They can remove the excess wax residue.

3. You're getting headaches after wearing the hearing aids all day.

If you've graduated to all-day use after wearing your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time, and now you're developing headaches, it is time to back off. Go back to wearing your hearing aids for only a few hours at a time. Then, increase your wear time by an hour a day until you're back to wearing them all day. Also consider turning the volume down just a touch, especially if you're in a busy environment where there's a lot of noise.

4. You keep forgetting to wear your hearing aids.

If you like to remove your hearing aids at night, perhaps you forget to put them back in each morning. Try setting an alarm, just a few minutes after your wake-up alarm, to remind you to do so. Another option is to simply keep your hearing aids in at night. Most modern models are designed to be worn comfortably at night. It may take you a couple of nights to get used to this, but it will eliminate the need to remember in the morning.

If you are facing any other hearing aid challenges, talk to your doctor. They can tell you what solutions have worked for other patients.