Tanya is visiting her hearing specialist, being measured for her very first pair of hearing aids. And it’s causing her some anxiety. Not, you know, a lot of anxiety. But she’s never had to use hearing aids before, and she’s somewhat concerned about how comfortable she’ll feel with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ears, particularly because she’s not a big fan of earpods or earplugs.
Tanya’s concerns are not unique. Fit and overall comfort are doubts for many first time hearing aid users. Tanya has every intention of wearing her hearing aids. Now she won’t need to crank up the TV so loud that it bothers her family or even the neighbors. But will those hearing aids be comfortable?
Adapting to Hearing Aids For The First Time
So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? The short response is: some individuals experience them as a bit uncomfortable when they first wear them. Initial levels of comfort will fluctuate because, like many things in life, there’s a period of adjustment. But as time passes, you’ll become accustomed to the feeling of your hearing aids and become more comfortable.
Recognizing that these adjustments are coming can help alleviate some of the anxiety. Knowing what to expect can help you get accustomed to your hearing aids in a healthy, sustainable, and comfortable way.
Adjusting to your hearing aid has two phases:
- Becoming accustomed to a hearing aid in your ear: Your hearing specialist might recommend that you start off slowly wearing your hearing aids so you can take some time to get accustomed to the feeling of the device in your ear. Having said that, there shouldn’t be any pain involved. If you’re feeling pain due to your hearing aid, you should certainly talk to your hearing specialist as soon as possible.
In order to better your overall comfort and speed up the adjustment period, consult your hearing specialist if you’re experiencing trouble with the physical positioning or sound quality of your hearing aids.
How Can I Enhance The Comfort of My Hearing Aids?
Over the years, luckily, there are a few strategies that have worked pretty well.
- Get the right fit: Fitting your ears properly is what hearing aids are designed to do. It may take several visits with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and just the right fit. And for maximum effectiveness and comfort, you might want to think about a custom fit hearing aid.
- Practice: Once you get your hearing aids, the world won’t sound quite the same. And it might take some time for your ears to adapt, specifically when it comes to the spoken word. In order to get the hang of it more quickly, there are a number of exercises you can do including watching a movie with caption or reading along with an audiobook.
- Start slow: You don’t have to wear your hearing aids twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week at first. You can build up to that. Start by wearing your hearing aid for a couple to a few hours a day. That said, you’ll want to work up to wearing your hearing aids all day, but you don’t have to begin there.
You’re Hearing Aids Can be More Comfortable
For the first few days or weeks, there may be some discomfort with your hearing aids. But the more quickly you adjust to your new hearing aids, the faster they’ll become a comfortable part of your everyday life. Wearing them on a daily basis is essential to make that transition work.
Soon all you will have to think about is what you hear, not how you hear it.