Tanya is being fitted for a new pair of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And it’s causing her some level anxiety. Her anxiety isn’t actually that bad. But hearing aids are new to her, and she’s a little worried that she will feel uncomfortable with a high tech gadget inside of her ear canal, especially since she’s never been a big fan of earbuds or earplugs.
These worries are not unique to Tanya. Fit and overall comfort are concerns for many first time hearing aid users. Tanya wants to wear her hearing aid. She’s anticipating hearing her son’s music and listening to her television at a volume That won’t cause problems with the neighbors. But how comfortable are those hearing aids going to be?
Adapting to Hearing Aids For The First Time
So, are hearing aids uncomfortable? The short answer is: some people find them to be a bit uncomfortable at first. Early comfort levels will vary because, as with many things in life, there’s a period of adjustment. But you will get more comfortable over time as you get accustomed to your hearing aids.
Knowing that these adjustments will occur can help ease some of the concerns. Knowing what you should expect will help your adjustment period be smoother.
There are two stages to your adjustment:
In order to better your general comfort and hasten the adjustment period, consult your hearing specialist if you are having trouble with the physical placement or sound quality of your hearing aids.
How Can I Increase The Comfort of My Hearing Aids?
Fortunately, there are a few techniques that have proven to be quite effective over the years.
- Practice: The world may sound just a little bit different after you get your hearing aids. And it might take some time for your ears to adapt, particularly when it comes to speech. There are many exercises (reading along with an audiobook or watching TV with the closed captions on) that can help you get better at this a little faster.
- Start slow: You don’t have to use your hearing aids 24/7 right away. You can gradually work your way up to it. Start by wearing your hearing aid for one to four hours a day. Ultimately, you will be wearing your hearing aids all day, when you get comfortable with them.
- Get the right fit: Fitting your ears comfortably is what hearing aids are designed to do. It could take a few visits with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and just the right fit. You may also want to consider a custom fit hearing aid for maximum comfort and effectiveness.
Making Your Hearing Aids More Comfortable
Your hearing aids may 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. In order to make that transition, it’s essential that you wear them every day.
Before you know it, you’ll be thinking about is having good conversation with friends.