Tanya is being measured for a new set of hearing aids by her hearing specialist. And it’s causing her some anxiety. Her anxiety isn’t really that bad. But she’s never used hearing aids before, and she’s a little worried about how comfortable she’ll feel with a high tech gizmo sitting in her ear canal, especially because she doesn’t really like earpods or earplugs.
These worries are not unique to Tanya. Many first-time hearing aid users have doubts about the overall fit and comfort of their hearing aids. Tanya wants to use her hearing aid. She’s anticipating hearing her son’s jokes and listening to her TV at a volume That won’t cause problems with the neighbors. But how comfortable will those hearing aids be?
Adjusting to Hearing Aids For The First Time
So, are hearing aids uncomfortable? Simply put: some individuals find them to be a little bit uncomfortable at first. Early levels of comfort will fluctuate because, as with many things in life, there’s a period of adjustment. But over time, you’ll become accustomed to the feeling of your hearing aids and become more comfortable.
At times it’s just nice to recognize that these adjustments are will happen. Knowing what to expect will help you acclimate to your hearing aids in a healthy, sustainable, and comfortable way.
Adjusting to your hearing aid includes two parts:
If either the sound quality or the physical placement of the hearing aids is bothering you, it’s critical to talk to your hearing specialist about adjustments to enhance your general comfort and progress the period of adjustment.
Can I Make my Hearing Aids More Comfortable?
Over the years, fortunately, there are a few techniques that have worked fairly well.
- Get the right fit: Fitting your ears well is what hearing aids are made to do. It might take several consultations with your hearing specialist to get everything functioning and fitting just right. You may also want to think about a custom fit hearing aid for maximum comfort and effectiveness.
- Practice: The world may sound just a little bit different after you get your hearing aids. And it may take a while for your ears to adapt, especially when it comes to speech. There are many practices (reading along with an audiobook or watching your favorite movie with the closed captions turned on) that can help you get the hang of this a little more quickly.
- Start slow: You don’t need to wear your hearing aids 24/7 at first. You can take your time and work your way up to it. From one to four hours every day is a great way to start. With that being said, you’ll want to build up to using your hearing aids all day, but you don’t have to start there.
You’re Hearing Aids Can be More Comfortable
Your hearing aids may feel a little awkward for the first few days or weeks. Pretty soon you’re hearing aids will be a comfortable part of your daily life and the sooner you make the adjustments, the sooner this will happen. Wearing them every day is crucial to make that transition work.
Pretty soon, you’ll be focusing on is having good conversation with friends.