Tanya is visiting her hearing specialist, being measured for her very first pair of hearing aids. And she’s feeling a little anxious. Not, you know, a lot of anxiety. But hearing aids are new to her, and she’s a little concerned that she will feel uncomfortable with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ears, especially since she’s never been a huge fan of earbuds or earplugs.
These worries are not only felt by Tanya. Countless first-time hearing aid users have fears about the general fit and comfort of their hearing aids. Tanya has every desire of wearing her hearing aids. Now she won’t need to turn the TV up so loud that it bothers her family or even the neighbors. But will those hearing aids be comfortable?
Adjusting to Hearing Aids For The First Time
So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? Put simply: some individuals experience them as a little uncomfortable when they first use them. As with many things in life, there’s an adjustment period, meaning your initial level of comfort will fluctuate. But in time, you’ll get used to how your hearing aids feel and become more comfortable.
Recognizing that these adjustments are coming can help ease some of the concerns. 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 includes two parts:
In order to improve your general comfort and quicken the adjustment period, contact your hearing specialist if you’re having trouble with the physical placement or sound quality of your hearing aids.
Can I Make my Hearing Aids More Comfortable?
Over the years, fortunately, there are a few strategies that have worked pretty well.
- Start slow: You don’t need to use your hearing aids every day from morning till night right away. You can build up to that. Start by wearing your hearing aid for a couple to a few hours a day. Ultimately, you will be using your hearing aids all day, when you get comfortable with them.
- Get the right fit: Hearing aids are made to fit your ears comfortably. You’ll definitely want to talk about fit with your hearing specialist right off the bat, but you’ll also want to see your hearing specialist for follow-up fittings to be certain everything is working correctly and the fit is just right. You may also want to think about a custom fit hearing aid for optimal comfort and effectiveness.
- Practice: Once you get your hearing aids, the world isn’t going to sound quite the same. And it might take some time for your ears to adapt, especially when it comes to the spoken word. In order to get the hang of it more quickly, there are numerous practices you can do like watching a movie with caption or reading along with an audiobook.
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 faster you adjust to your new hearing aids, the faster they’ll become a comfortable part of your daily life. Wearing them on a daily basis is crucial to make that transition happen.
Soon all you will have to consider is what you hear, not how you hear it.