Woman getting a hearing aid fitting.

Tanya is being measured for a new pair of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And she’s feeling a little anxious. Her anxiety isn’t actually that bad. But she’s never used hearing aids before, and she’s somewhat concerned about how comfortable she’ll feel with a high tech gizmo inside of her ear canal, particularly because she’s not a big fan of earpods or earplugs.

Tanya’s concerns are not unusual. Lots of first-time hearing aid users have concerns about the overall fit and comfort of their hearing aids. Tanya has every intention of wearing her hearing aids. Now she won’t need to crank up the television so loud that it disturbs her family or even her neighbors. But will those hearing aids be fit her ears comfortably?

Adapting to Hearing Aids For The First Time

So, are hearing aids uncomfortable? The short response is: some people find them to be a bit uncomfortable when they first use them. As with many things in life, there’s an adjustment period, meaning your early level of comfort will vary. But after a while, you’ll become accustomed to the feeling of your hearing aids and become more comfortable.

At times it’s just nice to realize that these adjustments are coming. Knowing what to expect will help you get accustomed to your hearing aids in a sustainable, healthy, and comfortable way.

There are two steps to your adjustment:

  • Adjusting to the enhanced sound quality: Sometimes, it might be the sound quality that you have to adapt to. For most people who have been coping with hearing loss for some time, it will likely take some time to get used to hearing a full range of sound. It may sound a bit loud at first or there could be frequencies of sound your not used to hearing. At first, this can be disruptive. One of our readers complained, for example, that he could hear his hair scraping against his coat whenever he moved his head. This is not abnormal. 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: There might be some slight physical discomfort when you first begin to wear your hearing aid, and your hearing specialist may recommend you start off wearing your hearing aids for only part of the day. Having said that, there shouldn’t be any pain involved. If you’re feeling pain because of your hearing aid, you should definitely talk to your hearing specialist as soon as possible.
  • If either the quality of sound or the physical placement of the hearing aids is bothering you, it’s critical to talk to your hearing specialist about adjustments to enhance your all-around comfort and quicken the period of adjustment.

    Can I Make my Hearing Aids More Comfortable?

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

    • Get the right fit: Fitting your ears properly is what hearing aids are made to do. You’ll absolutely want to discuss your fit with your hearing specialist right away but you’ll also want to consult your hearing specialist for follow-up fittings to make certain everything is working properly and the fit is excellent. You might also want to consider a custom fit hearing aid for optimal effectiveness and comfort.
    • Practice: Once have your hearing aids, the world isn’t going to sound quite the same. Adjusting to sound, specifically speech, could take some time. There are many techniques (reading along with an audiobook or watching TV with the closed captions turned on) that can help you get the hang of this a little more quickly.
    • Start slow: You don’t have to wear your hearing aids every day from morning till night at first. You can start gradually and build up from there. Begin by wearing your hearing aid for one to four hours a day. With that being said, you’ll want to work up to wearing your hearing aids all day, but you don’t have to start there.

    Making Your Hearing Aids More Comfortable

    For the first few days or weeks, there may be some discomfort with your hearing aids. But the faster you adjust to your new hearing aids, the faster they’ll become a comfortable part of your day to day life. Wearing them on a daily basis is essential to make that transition happen.

    Before long all you will have to consider 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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