Wearing a hearing aid is an important step in restoring hearing, but many people face challenges during the initial adjustment period. Below, we summarize the five most common issues when first using hearing aids and offer corresponding solutions to help you adapt more easily to your hearing aids.
1. Physiological Adaptation: How to Overcome the Sensation of a Foreign Object?
When first wearing a hearing aid, many people experience a feeling of something foreign in their ear. Even the most advanced hearing aids are not part of your body, so it takes time to adjust. At the same time, hearing aids amplify external sounds. These amplified sounds may differ from natural speech and might even sound mechanical or echoey. Don’t worry, as time passes, your brain will gradually adjust to these changes.
2. Discomfort: Dealing with Sound Being Too Loud and Ear Pressure
After wearing a hearing aid, many people feel that their own voice is amplified, and sometimes they hear an echo. This happens because the influx of sound information suddenly increases, overwhelming the auditory system temporarily. Many users may also experience mild ear pressure. This process is normal, and by consistently wearing the hearing aid, the auditory nerves will gradually recover.
3. Wearing Time: Gradually Increase Wearing Duration
After wearing a hearing aid, the sudden increase in sound information may cause fatigue. To avoid this, new users should start by wearing the hearing aid for 2 hours a day and gradually increase the duration. After about a month, most users will be able to wear the hearing aid all day long without discomfort.
4. Wearing Environment: Gradually Transition to Noisy Environments
When first wearing a hearing aid, it is best to avoid immediately entering noisy environments. Start by adapting in a quiet environment, listening to simple sounds like footsteps or flowing water. As you get used to these, begin listening to your own voice and conversations with others, and then move on to more complex environments like group conversations. Finally, you can transition to even more crowded and noisy settings. This gradual transition will help you adjust better to background noise and reduce discomfort.
5. Television, Radio, and Phone: Why Are the Sounds Unclear?
Many first-time users of hearing aids notice that the sound from television, radio, or phone calls is still unclear. This happens because the sound signals from these devices are processed first (such as in TV broadcasts) before being transmitted through the air to the hearing aid, where they undergo a second round of processing before reaching your ear. Due to this double processing, the sound can become distorted and unclear. Don’t worry, this is completely normal in the beginning.
Conclusion
The initial discomfort, ear pressure, or fatigue that many people experience when first wearing a hearing aid is typically temporary. With time and adjustments, the effectiveness of the hearing aid will improve. By continuing to wear it and gradually adapting, you will be able to restore your hearing more effectively and enjoy clearer sound.
What issues have you encountered while wearing hearing aids? Share your experience in the comments below!