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Hearing aids are an important investment in your health and wellbeing. People who treat their hearing loss with hearing aids regularly report happiness with their device and an increase in overall quality of life. However, that doesn’t mean that hearing aids come without growing pains.
If you are new to hearing aids, it might be helpful to learn about some common problems people can have when adjusting to their device and learn what to do about it.
Hearing Aid Is Uncomfortable
Research shows that discomfort is one of the main reasons why people with hearing loss decide not to use hearing aids. This is why your hearing aid fitting is such an important process. However, even after a thorough fitting, some people can struggle initially with the feeling of something in their ear. It’s important to know that this is normal and that, more than likely, you will grow comfortable with the feeling with regular use.
However, if you are experiencing significant discomfort or even pain, you should make an appointment with your audiologist to see what’s going on. It’s possible that you will need to have your device refitted to increase comfort. Another possibility is that you aren’t inserting the device correctly. It can take some practice to get it right, so make sure to have your audiologist go over it with you to make sure your technique is correct.
Your Voice Sounds Different
Some people can be bothered by the fact that their voice sounds different after getting hearing aids. This can happen because when you use hearing aids, you are processing sound through microphones as well as your own ear. It’s similar to how your voice often sounds different when you listen to a recording of yourself as opposed to just speaking. This is another issue that is often resolved simply by giving yourself more time to adapt.
However, sometimes the style of your hearing aid or a buildup of earwax or other debris on your device may be exacerbating the problem. In that case, your audiologist may be able to physically modify your hearing aid to help address these issues.
Loud Environments Feel Overwhelming With Hearing Aids
Many people go years before treating their hearing loss. When they start to wear hearing aids, they begin to pick up on a lot of sounds they were missing. While this is obviously the goal of hearing aids, it can initially be overwhelming. Louder environments or those with background noise can be especially intense.
When using hearing aids, start out slowly. Have one-on-one conversations with a spouse or friend and acclimate to how that sounds before heading out somewhere louder like The Pennant.
Regular, consistent hearing aid use is the best way for your brain and ears to adjust to this new way of processing sound. If noises remain bothersome, you can talk with your audiologist about changing your settings or adding noise reduction program to your device.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, contact Topeka ENT today.