Tanya is sitting with her hearing specialist, being fitted for her very first pair of hearing aids. And it’s causing her some level anxiety. Her anxiety isn’t really that bad. But she’s never had to use hearing aids before, and she’s a little stressed that she will feel uncomfortable with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ear canal, especially because she’s not a big fan of earpods or earplugs.
Tanya’s doubts are not unusual. Lots of first-time hearing aid users have fears about the general 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 disturbs her family or even her neighbors. But how comfortable are those hearing aids going to be?
How to Adapt When You First Use Your Hearing Aids
So, is wearing hearing aids uncomfortable? The short response is: some people find them to be a bit uncomfortable at first. As with many things in life, there’s an adjustment period, which means your initial level of comfort will fluctuate. But as time passes, you’ll become accustomed to how your hearing aids feel and become more comfortable.
At times it’s just good to recognize that these adjustments are will happen. Knowing what to expect will help your adjustment period be easier.
There are two phases to your adjustment:
In order to better your overall comfort and quicken the adjustment period, speak to your hearing specialist if you’re having trouble with the physical positioning or sound quality of your hearing aids.
Can I Make my Hearing Aids More Comfortable?
Thankfully, there are a few methods that have proven to be quite successful over the years.
- Start slow: You don’t have to use your hearing aids 24/7 right away. You can gradually work your way up to it. From one to four hours every day is a great way to start. That said, you’ll want to work up to using your hearing aids all day, but you don’t have to start there.
- Practice: Once have your hearing aids, the world won’t sound quite the same. Adjusting to sound, especially speech, could take some time. There are many techniques (reading along with an audiobook or watching your favorite movie with the closed captions on) that can help you get better at this a little more quickly.
- Get the right fit: Hearing aids are designed to fit your ears well. It may take a number of appointments with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and fitting just right. You may also want to consider a custom fit hearing aid for maximum effectiveness and comfort.
Making Your Hearing Aids More Comfortable
For the first few days or weeks, there may be a little 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 critical that you wear them every day.
Pretty soon, you’ll be focusing on is having good conversation with friends.