Can Headaches be Caused by Hearing Aids?

A distraught senior man sitting on his couch suffering from a headache because his hearing aids were not properly adjusted.

Hearing aids are meant to help compensate for your individual hearing loss problem. Whether you are new to wearing hearing aids or have been wearing them for years, if your hearing aids give you headaches or any other type of pain, there is a solution.

A properly adjusted hearing aid will fit comfortably in your ear and provide the quality of amplification that meets your specific requirements. If this isn’t the case, you should make certain you have the appropriate type of hearing aid and that it’s been properly adjusted.

Your hearing aid requires adjustment if you experience any of these signs

Headaches can be the result of improperly adjusted hearing aids. Typical, poor adjustment or incorrect use is the reason. If this is the case, the following problems might occur:

  • Feedback noise. Wind and other background noise can be picked up and amplified by your hearing aid, also producing screeching frustrating feedback.
  • Headaches and tinnitus. Hearing aids that are picking up loud sounds and further amplifying them can be painful to your ears and can trigger not only headaches but also tinnitus. Normally, this means the settings are too high.
  • Poor sound quality. Poorly adjusted hearing aids can increase the volume of high intensity sound causing a loud annoying feedback that can damage your ears. And low level sound can get lost with hearing aids in this state.

Over-the-counter hearing aids

Even though you can go to a local store and get a less expensive personal amplification device (over the counter hearing aid), these devices won’t be customized for your personal hearing loss needs.

Improving your hearing demands more than simply amplifying sounds because hearing loss is unique to each person. There are many instances of hearing loss where people lose the ability to hear a specific frequency. In order for a hearing aid to allow people to hear clearly in different environments, they will need precise adjustment.

Professional hearing aid adjustment

One of the most useful ways to ensure your hearing aid is fitted correctly is to have your personalized hearing aid fitted and adjusted. Custom-fitted hearing aids will be designed just for you utilizing molds of your ears. The settings will be programmed to address your exact hearing loss situation once the correct fit is attained.

You should also be capable of hearing sound in lots of different settings with automated adjustments made by your hearing aids. In order to make sure you get the right hearing aids for your personal needs, you might need to come in more than once. If you have severe hearing loss, the adjustments to your hearing aid will be done in stages so that your brain has time to adapt to louder sounds.

Contact us for an appointment if you think your hearing aid may need a tune-up.

References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids#hearingaid_08

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.