Although very effective in improving hearing, hearing aids do not restore normal hearing.
Hearing aids work very well once they have been professionally fitted and adjusted to your specific needs. Adjusting the hearing aids to achieve maximal performance (fit, comfort, sound quality etc) usually takes a few weeks of collaboration and cooperation between you and the hearing professional.
At first, you will likely be aware of hearing aids in your ears. With older hearing aids, your voice will sound “funny” (plugged-up, maybe with an echo) when you first wear hearing aids. With Open Ear Acoustics, your voice should sound pretty normal from the first moment you wear them. Nonetheless, further fine-tuning and adjusting the hearing aids to achieve maximal performance (fit, comfort, sound quality etc) is normal.
People learn at different rates. Some people need a day or two to learn about and adjust to their hearing aids, most need a few weeks and some may need a few months. There is no perfect way to learn about hearing aids. Nonetheless, your hearing professional will work with you to design a “wear-schedule” that's best for you. While you're learning to use hearing aids, use them in easy and comfortable situations, with familiar people in favorable listening environments (such as one-on-one conversations in quiet) and work towards more difficult listening situations.
Your hearing instrument has to contend with moisture and heat, earwax, skin, oil and hair care products. And like any other things we wear, such as eyeglasses or clothing, hearing instruments require cleaning and maintenance.