Gilberts Audiology & Hearing Aid Center - Oklahoma

Woman getting a hearing aid fitting.

Tanya is being measured for a new set of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And she’s feeling a little anxious. Not, you know, a ton of anxiety. But she’s never used hearing aids before, and she’s a little worried about how comfortable she’ll feel with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ear canal, especially since she’s never been a huge fan of earplugs or earbuds.

These worries are not only felt by Tanya. Many first-time hearing aid users have concerns about the comfort and overall fit of their hearing aids. Tanya wants to wear her hearing aid. She’s looking forward to hearing her son’s music and listening to her TV at a volume not likely to cause problems with the neighbors. But will those hearing aids be fit her ears comfortably?

How to Adjust When You First Use Your Hearing Aids

So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? Simply put: some individuals experience them as a bit uncomfortable at first. As with many things in life, there’s an adjustment time, which means your early level of comfort will fluctuate. But you will become more comfortable in time as you get used to your hearing aids.

Recognizing that these adjustments are coming can help alleviate some of the concerns. Knowing what you should expect will help your adjustment period be easier.

There are two stages to your adjustment:

  • Adjusting to the enhanced sound quality: In some cases, it might be the sound quality that you have to adapt to. If you’re like most people, you waited to get hearing aids, and you’re not used to hearing a full array of sounds anymore. When you first start using your hearing aids, it may sound a little loud, or you might hear sounds that you aren’t used to hearing. In the beginning, this can be slightly distracting. For example, one patient complained that he could hear his hair rubbing against his jacket. This isn’t unusual. After a few weeks, your brain will block out the noises you don’t want to tune in to.
  • Becoming accustomed to a hearing aid in your ear: Your hearing specialist might recommend that you begin gradually wearing your hearing aids so you can take some time to get accustomed to how the device feels in your ear. However, there should not be any pain involved. You should speak with your hearing specialist if your hearing aid is causing pain.
  • If either the quality of sound or the physical placement of the hearing aids is disturbing you, it’s essential to consult your hearing specialist about adjustments to increase your general comfort and quicken the adjustment period.

    How Can I Improve The Comfort of My Hearing Aids?

    Over the years, fortunately, there are a few techniques that have worked fairly well.

    • Practice: The world may sound quite a bit different once you get your hearing aids. Adapting to sound, specifically speech, might take a while. In order to get the hang of it more quickly, there are lots of practices you can do including watching a movie with caption or reading along with an audiobook.
    • Get the right fit: Fitting your ears properly is what hearing aids are made to do. It could take several appointments with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and fitting just right. And for maximum comfort and effectiveness, you may want to think about a custom fit hearing aid.
    • Start slow: If you’re breaking in your first pair of hearing aids, you shouldn’t feel like you need to wear them all day, every day at first. You can build up to that. From one to four hours per day is a good way to begin. Ultimately, you will be wearing your hearing aids all day, when you get comfortable with them.

    You’re Hearing Aids Can be More Comfortable

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

    Before long 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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