What Can I do to Make My Hearing Aids More Comfortable?

Woman getting a hearing aid fitting.

Tanya is being fitted for a new set of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And it’s causing her some anxiety. Not, you know, a ton of anxiety. But she’s never had to use hearing aids before, and she’s a little worried 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.

These worries are not only felt by Tanya. Fit and general comfort are doubts for many new hearing aid users. Tanya has every desire of wearing her hearing aids. She’s looking forward to hearing her son’s jokes and listening to her TV at a volume not likely to cause trouble with the neighbors. But will those hearing aids be comfortable?

How to Adapt When You First Wear Your Hearing Aids

So, are hearing aids uncomfortable? The short response is: some people find them to be a little uncomfortable at first. As with many things in life, there’s an adjustment time, meaning your initial level of comfort will vary. But you will become more comfortable in time as you become accustomed to your hearing aids.

Sometimes it’s just good to know that these adjustments are coming. Knowing what you should expect will help you acclimate to your hearing aids in a sustainable, healthy, and comfortable way.

There are two stages to your adjustment:

  • Adjusting to the enhanced sound quality: In some cases, the improvement in sound quality takes some adjusting 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. It may sound a little loud at first or there may be frequencies of sound your not used to hearing. At first, this can be distracting. One of our readers complained, for example, that he could hear his hair scraping against his coat when he moved his head. This is typical. In a short period of time, your brain will make the necessary adjustments to sounds it doesn’t need to hear.
  • Becoming accustomed to a hearing aid in your ear: There might be some moderate physical discomfort when you first begin wearing your hearing aid, and your hearing specialist may suggest you initially wear your hearing aids for only part of the day. Having said that, there shouldn’t be any pain involved. If you’re experiencing pain because of your hearing aid, you should certainly speak with your hearing specialist as soon as possible.
  • In order to enhance your general comfort and quicken the adjustment period, get in touch with your hearing specialist if you are experiencing trouble with the physical positioning or sound quality of your hearing aids.

    How Can I Improve The Comfort of My Hearing Aids?

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

    • Practice: Once have your hearing aids, the world isn’t going to sound quite the same. And it could take some time for your ears to adjust, particularly when it comes to the spoken word. There are many techniques (reading along with an audiobook or watching TV with the closed captions on) that can help you get better at this a little faster.
    • Get the right fit: Fitting your ears comfortably is what hearing aids are designed to do. It might take a few visits with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and fitting just right. You may also want to consider a custom fit hearing aid for optimal comfort and effectiveness.
    • Start slow: If you’re breaking in your first pair of hearing aids, you shouldn’t feel as though you have to wear them all day, every day right off the bat. You can build up to that. Start by wearing your hearing aid for a couple to a few hours a day. Eventually, you will be using 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 awkward for the first few days or weeks. But the faster you adapt to your new hearing aids, the faster they’ll become a comfortable part of your everyday life. Wearing them every day is critical to make that transition happen.

    Before you know it, you’ll be thinking about is having good conversation with friends.

    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.