Why do new hearing aids feel strange?
Hearing loss usually creeps up slowly, often over many years. During that time, your brain gets used to a quieter world with fewer high-pitched sounds. When hearing aids bring those sounds back, the brain has to relearn what is important and what can be tuned out.
That is why the first days can feel busy. The rustle of a newspaper, footsteps, the fridge humming, cutlery and running taps may all seem surprisingly loud. This is a normal part of adjusting, and for most people it eases as the brain gets used to the new sound.
Why does my own voice sound different?
This is one of the most common things new wearers notice. Your voice may sound louder, echoey, hollow or as if you are talking in a barrel. There are two main reasons:
- The ear is partly blocked. A dome or custom aid in the ear canal changes how your own voice travels to the eardrum, which can make low pitches boom. This is called the occlusion effect.
- You are hearing more of your voice. With hearing loss, you may have stopped hearing parts of your own speech clearly.
Most people stop noticing their own voice within a few weeks. If it is still bothering you after that, tell your audiologist. A small change to the settings or the type of dome can often help. Our guide to hearing aid domes explains how the fit affects your voice.
A step-by-step plan for your first weeks
Everyone adjusts at their own pace, and your audiologist will tailor advice to you. As a general approach, many people find this kind of plan helpful.
The first few days: quiet places
- Wear your hearing aids at home, where it is quiet and familiar.
- Have one-to-one conversations with family. Listen to the radio or TV at a normal volume.
- If you feel tired, take a break, then put them back in. Aim to wear them a little longer each day.
- Notice new sounds and try to work out what they are. Naming them helps the brain sort them.
The first week or two: everyday life
- Build up to wearing your aids from when you get up to when you go to bed.
- Go for a walk, visit a shop, and talk on the phone. Bluetooth streaming can make calls easier if your aids support it.
- Try small groups of two or three people.
- Keep a short note of anything that is uncomfortable, too loud or hard to follow, so you can tell your audiologist.
The weeks after: busier settings
- Try a café, a family meal or a place of worship. Sit with your back to the noise and face the person you are talking to.
- Use any extra programmes your audiologist has set up for noisy places.
- Be patient. Busy places are the hardest situation for anyone with hearing loss, with or without hearing aids.
Common early niggles and what to do
- Soreness. A little awareness of the aid is normal. Pain, rubbing or redness is not. Stop wearing the aid in that ear and contact your audiologist.
- Whistling. Usually the aid is not fully in. Reinsert it. Our guide to hearing aid whistling has more help.
- Sounds too sharp or tinny. This often settles, but your audiologist can adjust it if it does not.
- Tiredness. Listening takes effort while you adjust. It usually becomes easier over the first few weeks.
- Fiddly handling. Practise inserting and removing the aids over a soft surface, such as a bed or towel, so they do not get damaged if dropped.
Tips for family and friends
The people around you can make a big difference. Ask them to get your attention before speaking, to face you, to speak clearly at a normal pace without shouting, and to reduce background noise when they can. Encourage them to come along to an appointment. Hearing the explanation first-hand helps them understand what you are adjusting to.
How the 14-day home trial and follow-ups help
At Sutton Hearing Care, you can take hearing aids home on a free 14-day trial before buying. This lets you try them in your own home, on your own phone and with your own TV, rather than deciding after a short demonstration. If you do go ahead, your fitting includes real ear measurement to check the sound reaching your eardrums, and follow-up appointments in the first two weeks so your audiologist can fine-tune the settings based on what you have noticed.
Your purchase is also covered by a 60-day money-back guarantee, and 5 years of aftercare for adjustments, cleaning and servicing. Adjusting to hearing aids is a process, and it helps to know support is there throughout.
Start with a free hearing test in Sutton Coldfield
If you are thinking about hearing aids, the first step is a free hearing test of up to 90 minutes at our Streetly clinic, with no GP referral needed. Your audiologist will explain your results on the day and, if hearing aids would help, talk you through the options and how the home trial works. Learn more about our audiologists in Sutton Coldfield, or call 0121 369 0780 to book your hearing test.