Tanya is being measured for a new pair of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And she’s feeling a little anxious. Not, you know, a lot of anxiety. But she’s never had to use hearing aids before, and she’s a little worried that she will be uncomfortable with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ears, especially since she’s never been a huge fan of earplugs or earbuds.
These concerns are not only felt by Tanya. Countless first-time hearing aid users have doubts about the overall fit and comfort of their hearing aids. Tanya wants to wear her hearing aid. Now she won’t need to turn up the television so loud that it irritates her family or even her neighbors. But will those hearing aids be fit her ears comfortably?
Adjusting to Hearing Aids For The First Time
So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? The short response is: some individuals find them to be a little bit uncomfortable at first. Initial comfort levels will fluctuate because, like many things in life, there’s a period of adjustment. But you will feel more comfortable in time as you become accustomed to your hearing aids.
At times it’s just nice to realize that these adjustments are coming. Knowing what to expect will help your adjustment period be smoother.
There are two phases to your adjustment:
In order to enhance your general comfort and quicken the adjustment period, speak with your hearing specialist if you are having trouble with the physical placement or sound quality of your hearing aids.
Can I Make my Hearing Aids More Comfortable?
Luckily, there are a few techniques that have proven to be quite effective over the years.
- Start slow: You don’t need to use your hearing aids 24/7 when you first get them. You can gradually work your way up to it. From one to four hours per day is a great way to start. Ultimately, you will be wearing your hearing aids all day, when you get comfortable with them.
- Get the right fit: Hearing aids are designed to fit your ears properly. You’ll obviously want to discuss your fit with your hearing specialist right away but you’ll also want to see your hearing specialist for follow-up fittings to make certain everything is working correctly and the fit is excellent. And for optimal effectiveness and comfort, you might want to consider a custom fit hearing aid.
- Practice: Once have your hearing aids, the world won’t sound quite the same. Adapting to sound, especially speech, could take a while. In order to get the hang of it more quickly, there are a number of practices you can do including watching a movie with caption or reading along with an audiobook.
Making Your Hearing Aids More Comfortable
For the first few days or weeks, there might be some discomfort with your hearing aids. But the more quickly you adapt to your new hearing aids, the faster they’ll become a comfortable part of your everyday life. In order to really make that transition, it’s crucial that you wear them on a daily basis.
Soon all you will have to consider is what you hear, not how you hear it.
