Wearing Hearing Aids
Adjusting to Hearing Aids
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Millions of people wear
hearing aids
and they have all gone through the adjustment period. Always remember that they are an aid, not a cure. Similar to wearing glasses, they improve your ability to hear and those with more advanced hearing loss will have a more challenging adjustment period. Some things to do and conditions to expect:
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Get Familiar with your Hearing Aid: Your aid will have adjustment controls depending on the model. Know how to change the volume, clean the aid, and change the
batteries.
Wear them at home, even if you're alone.
A Proper Fit is Critical: With new hearing aids you may start with 30 to 60 minutes a day and increase gradually. It may take a couple months or half a year to get used to having something in your ear. A
proper fit
is an important factor in how quickly you will adjust to wearing your hearing aid. For example, if the
earmold in an
ITE
(in-the-ear) model or the shell of a
BTE
(behind-the-ear) aid does not fit tightly in the ear canal it may whistle causing feedback and not work properly.
Your Own Voice is Loud: This is a normal situation for new hearing aid users called the occlusion effect. Your own voice sounds unnatural and it takes some time to get used to 'internal' sounds such as chewing or having the feeling of plugged ears. Your brain needs to accept them as necessary and normal sounds. Most people get used to it over time although if the problem persists it may indicate the need for an
adjustment
to the hearing aid fitting.
A 'Whistle' in Your Ear: This is usually a symptom of feedback caused by the fit of the hearing aid or even a buildup of earwax or fluid. Adjustments can be made to reduce this problem.
Background Noise: The hearing aid will not separate background noise from those sounds you want to hear. On the other hand background noise may be coming from the hearing aid itself. Have the hearing aid checked if it persists.
Hearing Aid Tips: Getting Used to Hearing Aids
- Notice the sounds around you and get used to them gradually; the telephone, refrigerator, newspaper, running water, dishes, dishwasher, etc. They will become commonplace soon enough.
- Read aloud to yourself. It will sound louder because your voice is closer to the microphone than anyone else.
- Talk to one person at a time to start without distractions.
- Consider keeping a diary. Note any specific conditions where you're having difficulties and describe them. Learn to describe sound by low or high frequency or whether a sound is distorted or sounds unnaturally loud. Determine how comfortable sounds are by their loudness in quiet or noisy environments.
- With most
digital hearing aids it's possible to adjust for balance between loud and soft sounds. Notice the hum of a computer or the ticking of a clock and if they are unnaturally loud.
- Have a
'T switch'
feature installed on your hearing aid to prevent a loud shrill or feedback when using the phone. It's operated by a simple flick switch that turns off the aids microphone and turns on a tiny electro-magnetic coil inside the hearing aid. A 'T-switch' can also be an add-on for older models.
- 'Cell phone compatibility' is often advertised with new digital hearing aids. There were significant problems in the past with a 'buzzing noise' caused by either using or being close to cell phones. New technology allows cell phones to be held against hearing aids without the 'buzzing', but not with the hearing aid in 'T' position.
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