Hearing Health Blog

Woman getting a hearing aid fitting.

Tanya is being fitted for a new pair of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And it’s causing her some anxiety. Her anxiety isn’t really that bad. But hearing aids are new to her, and she’s a little worried about how comfortable she’ll feel with a high tech gadget sitting in her ear canal, especially because she’s not a big fan of earpods or earplugs.

These worries are not only felt by Tanya. Fit and overall comfort are doubts for many new hearing aid users. Tanya wants to wear her hearing aid. Now she won’t need to turn up the TV so loud that it irritates her family or even the neighbors. But how comfortable will those hearing aids be?

Adapting to Hearing Aids For The First Time

So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? Simply put: some people find them to be a little bit uncomfortable when they first use them. Early levels of comfort will vary because, like many things in life, there’s a period of adjustment. But you will get more comfortable over time as you become accustomed to your hearing aids.

Sometimes it’s just nice to realize that these adjustments are will happen. Knowing what to expect will help your adjustment period be smoother.

There are two phases to your adjustment:

  • Adjusting to the enhanced sound quality: In some cases, the improved sound quality takes some getting used to. If you’re like the majority of people, you put off on getting hearing aids, and you’re not used to hearing a complete range of sounds anymore. When you begin wearing your hearing aids, it might sound a bit loud, or you may hear noises that you aren’t used to hearing. In the beginning, this can be slightly distracting. One of our readers complained, for example, that he could hear his hair scraping against his jacket whenever he moved his head. This is typical. In a short period of time, your brain will make the appropriate adjustments to sounds it doesn’t need to hear.
  • Becoming accustomed to a hearing aid in your ear: Your hearing specialist may recommend that you start off gradually wearing your hearing aids so you can take some time to become accustomed to the feeling of the device in your ear. That being said, there shouldn’t be any pain involved. If you’re experiencing pain due to your hearing aid, you should absolutely talk to your hearing specialist as soon as possible.
  • If either the quality of sound or the physical placement of the hearing aids is disturbing you, it’s essential to speak to your hearing specialist about adjustments to help improve your overall comfort and progress the adjustment period.

    How Can I Enhance The Comfort of My Hearing Aids?

    Fortunately, there are a few techniques that have proven to be fairly successful over the years.

    • Practice: The world might sound quite a bit different once you get your hearing aids. And it could take some time for your ears to adapt, particularly when it comes to speech. In order to get the hang of it a little more quickly, there are lots of exercises you can do like watching a movie with caption or reading along with an audiobook.
    • Get the right fit: Hearing aids are designed to fit your ears well. You’ll absolutely want to discuss your fit with your hearing specialist right off the bat, but you’ll also want to see your hearing specialist for follow-up fittings to make certain everything is working properly and the fit is excellent. You may also want to think about a custom fit hearing aid for optimal effectiveness and comfort.
    • Start slow: If you’re breaking in your first pair of hearing aids, you shouldn’t feel as though you need to wear them all day, every day at first. You can build up to that. Start by wearing your hearing aid for a couple to a few hours a day. Inevitably, you will be wearing your hearing aids all day, when you get comfortable with them.

    Making Your Hearing Aids More Comfortable

    Your hearing aids may feel a little uncomfortable for the first few days or weeks. Pretty soon you’re hearing aids will be a comfortable part of your day to day life and the sooner you make the adjustments, the sooner this will happen. In order to make that transition, it’s essential that you wear them on a daily basis.

    Soon all you will have to think about is what you hear, not how you hear it.

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    The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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