When you first start wearing hearing aids, you may experience a range of new emotions and observations. Because people typically wait up to 10 years to treat hearing loss, there are many new sounds to get used to while adjusting to hearing aids. While hearing (or rediscovering) the previously missed sounds will be exciting, it’s also normal to have concerns.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you can expect, tips to help you adjust, and answers to some common questions and concerns.
You’ll certainly notice changes right away when wearing a hearing aid for the first time. However, getting used to hearing aids—to the degree that what you hear feels relatively “normal”—can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. A lot of factors will affect the length of time it takes to adjust, including how often you wear your devices.
For some, the initial period of wearing hearing aids is overwhelming and they might need to take breaks, which can stretch the process out longer. It’s important to work closely with your hearing care provider (HCP) at Miracle-Ear and communicate your experiences honestly so they can provide advice to help you adjust safely and effectively.
To make the process of getting used to hearing aids—especially your first pair—easier, follow these tips:
When you’re wearing a hearing aid for the first time, it might seem to make sense that you only put them on in situations where you “need” them, like when you’re out in public or socializing. However, one of the keys to better adjustment is wearing your hearing aids at home.
Listening to sounds in your everyday environment helps your brain get reacquainted to auditory cues that it had been missing as your hearing declined. The more of those cues that your brain gets, the better it will get at normalizing the new kind of sound you’re hearing (hearing aid sound is, logically, different from natural sound). It will also help your brain readjust to figuring out which sounds to prioritize—like your spouse’s voice instead of the TV in the background.
While, yes, it is important to wear your new hearing aids around the house as well as out and about, all that new sound can be a bit much. Hearing aid fatigue—being overwhelmed by hearing so many “new” sounds—is real. So, take breaks when you need them—just don’t take breaks too often, as this will make it difficult for your brain to adjust to your new hearing aids.
Consider wearing your devices for a couple of hours before giving your ears a rest while you do something low-key and quiet, like reading or going for a walk around your neighborhood. (If you take your hearing aids out for a walk, stick to a low-traffic area that you know well.)
If you start feeling negative effects from hearing aid fatigue, you might need to take a more gradual approach to adjusting to your hearing aids.
Take breaks as suggested above, but don’t give up. Once you feel more comfortable with wearing them for a certain length of time, add in a half hour or an hour here and there.
You want to make progress, without pushing yourself too far. Work with your HCP to develop a schedule that helps you adjust without making you uncomfortable.
A commonly mentioned phenomenon among new hearing aid wearers is the perception of their own voice sounding different, odd or too loud. The difference between hearing your own voice with hearing aids versus “naturally” is due to how the sound is being transmitted into your ear. With hearing aids, you perceive sounds via a microphone in your ear instead of hearing your voice through bone conduction.
When you speak without hearing aids, much of the sound you perceive is produced via bone conduction—sound processed through vibrations in the bones. This effect also accounts for the difference you notice when you hear a recording of your own voice—you’re hearing your voice via air conduction rather than bone conduction.
You can work on getting accustomed to hearing your own voice through your hearing aids by reading aloud or just talking aloud to yourself as you go about your day—narrate the steps of brewing your morning coffee or making a sandwich for lunch. The more you hear your voice through your hearing aids, the more your brain—and perception—will adjust.
Make a point to listen for sounds you might have been missing. The more you do this, the better your brain will become at differentiating between sounds you want to hear and those you don’t. Hearing aid background noise being too loud is a regular complaint among new wearers, but your brain will adjust as you engage it more with a range of everyday sounds. Try these ideas:
Watching TV without having to turn the volume up so loud is important to a lot of hearing aid wearers. As you get accustomed to your devices, watch TV and take note of how it sounds and how loud you’re turning it up to hear—that kind of information is valuable for when you have check-ins with your HCP.
If you have Bluetooth-enabled devices, you can connect your hearing aids to your TV so that sound goes directly to your hearing aids for an even clearer listening experience.
Talk to your HCP about when in your adjustment journey it’s appropriate to listen to your TV via Bluetooth versus regular listening.
Better interpersonal communication is one of the most important benefits of hearing aids, and again, getting used to hearing others’ voices can take time. Set yourself up for success by initiating or participating in a variety of conversations—one-on-one, in small groups or in larger groups, with a mix of different people.
Getting your ears and your brain accustomed to the differences between single and multiple voices is helpful, particularly if you have initial concerns about background noise being too loud. By having these different kinds of conversations, you’re retraining your brain to focus on the people speaking instead of what’s happening around you.
When you purchase from a Miracle-Ear hearing aid center, you get included follow-up visits so that you can work with your HCP to calibrate your hearing aids to your exact needs and preferences. Attending these appointments is essential to successful hearing improvement, so take advantage of them!
As you wear your hearing aids over the first days, weeks and months, keep notes on your observations and experiences and share them with your HCP. They might notice patterns in what you’re experiencing that you wouldn’t and can apply their expertise to make adjustments that keep your adjustment on track.
Above all, know that getting used to hearing aids is a process—and a highly personal one. What’s true in someone else’s experience might be different for you, so don’t put undue pressure on yourself.
By working with your HCP and taking the right steps to acclimate your ears and your brain, you’ll be setting yourself up for better hearing and for getting the most value out of your investment.
It’s normal to experience some discomfort or odd sensations when you first begin using hearing aids. Common side effects include:
Most side effects are temporary. If they persist beyond a few weeks, visit your hearing care professional to have your devices adjusted.
Some people notice dizziness or a sense of imbalance when first wearing hearing aids. This happens because your auditory and balance systems are closely linked. Sudden exposure to amplified sound can temporarily confuse your system.
To manage dizziness:
If dizziness continues for more than a couple of weeks, consult your hearing care professional.
A common frustration with new hearing aids is rustling or scratching noises. This usually comes from:
To reduce rustling, try tucking hair behind your ears, ensuring domes fit snugly, and adjusting how your glasses sit. If rustling persists, your hearing care professional can reposition the device or recommend hearing aid accessories that reduce noise interference.
Yes, there are several practical ways to reduce hearing aid side effects, especially during the first few weeks of use. Here are some of the most effective strategies:
Most side effects improve within a few weeks as your brain adapts. If problems continue, it’s important to schedule a follow-up with your HCP — small adjustments can make a big difference.
If you wear glasses, you may initially notice some awkwardness. Both devices compete for space behind your ears, and this can create discomfort or even affect sound quality. To help:
With time, your ears will get used to the combination, and it becomes second nature.
Patience is key. On average, it takes about one month for your brain to adjust to hearing aids.
Your brain must relearn how to interpret sounds. Years of hearing loss mean the auditory system “forgets” certain sounds. When hearing aids restore them, the brain initially perceives them as foreign or even irritating.
The adjustment involves:
This adaptation takes effort but leads to significant improvements in quality of life.
Domes, the soft tips that sit in your ear canal, play a major role in comfort and sound quality. If the dome is too small, sound may leak and cause feedback. Too large, and it may feel uncomfortable or cause itching.
Tips for domes:
Using the right dome is one of the simplest ways to eliminate rustling, improve sound clarity, and reduce side effects. Your hearing care professional will recommend the best domes for you to use.
Digital AI-powered hearing aids can make the adjustment process smoother by automatically learning your listening preferences and adapting to different environments. Unlike traditional devices, which may require frequent manual adjustments, AI hearing aids use machine learning to distinguish between speech, background noise, and environmental sounds, delivering clearer audio with less effort from the user. This can reduce common side effects such as fatigue or difficulty in noisy settings, while also helping the brain adjust more quickly. For new wearers, this means less frustration during the early days and a more natural listening experience as the aids continuously refine their performance over time.
Once you’ve worn your hearing aids for several days, weeks or months (the adjustment period varies from person to person), you’ll likely feel comfortable and more acclimated to all of the sounds. But for now, let’s address a few worries you might have while getting used to your new hearing aids and what you can do about them.
Since you’re probably not used to hearing subtle background noise, it might take some time to reacquaint yourself with these types of sounds. Traffic outside your home, background conversations while talking with a friend or even the sound of the air conditioning unit running can seem unusual or make hearing aids uncomfortable at first.
The good news: this feeling is completely normal and won’t last forever. Think of adjusting to hearing aids the same way you might think of coming out of a dark room and stepping into sunlight. You’ll probably want to close your eyes or feel the need to squint at first, but soon enough you’ll feel comfortable again. If you wear hearing aids consistently, you’ll gradually learn to pay attention to the most prominent sounds and naturally ignore the less important ones in your environment.
To make this adjustment even easier, Miracle-Ear has the latest technology to automatically focus on the sounds you want to hear. Three features work in tandem to make this possible. Noise reduction limits background noise, directional microphones pick up sound coming from the direction of the speaker, and amplification increases the volume of the speaker rather than surrounding noise.
While it’s no surprise hearing aids will amplify certain sounds, it’s important to make sure they’re at a comfortable volume level. Hearing aids are programmed to fit your individual pattern of loss to make sounds just right for your ears. Hearing noise at a louder volume than before might feel unfamiliar or overwhelming at first, and maybe even uncomfortable. You’ll quickly have a good idea of what’s right for your ears and what sound level feels pleasant after, likely, a few days or weeks of getting used to your new hearing aids. The timing is different for everyone, but you're likely to notice the change when it occurs
If certain sounds seem painfully loud, don’t hesitate to let your Miracle-Ear provider know. Your local professional will be more than happy to make a hearing aid adjustment to correct this issue. Keep in mind, it’s common to need slight tweaks before finding the perfect balance between just right and slightly too loud. The priority is always to make sure you’re hearing in a way that’s ideal to compensate for your specific loss.
When hearing aids are turned up to their highest volume setting, the sound of the microphone picking up noise might be louder than usual. Hearing aid squealing can be minimized by simply turning down the volume unless there’s a specific reason it needs to be amplified.
Wearing a hat or giving someone a hug may also cause your hearing aids to whistle or beep momentarily. This sensation—known as hearing aid feedback—can also occur if your glasses rub on hearing aids. This happens because sounds that originate very close to the hearing aids will be picked up louder than those received from farther away.
While there’s not much you can do to control this occasional sound, it’s helpful to be aware of the different situations that can cause it to occur.
As you adjust to your new hearing aids, you may notice your voice sounds a little different than it does without them. This is to be expected, since your voice is one of the sounds being amplified by your new device. If your hearing aid model takes up a significant portion of the ear canal, the sound of your voice will be altered the same way it would be if your ears were plugged. This is called the “occlusion effect.” Though this can feel odd initially, getting used to hearing aids doesn’t have to take a long time; it often happens relatively quickly.
Miracle-Ear’s Voice Recognition Technology also helps with this by processing your voice differently than other voices and sounds around you. The technology is used to detect the distance between your ears and mouth. The hearing aid then recognizes that the source of your own voice is closer to the device while other sounds are further away, achieving a more natural listening experience.
If you need additional help getting used to the sound of your voice, try speaking or reading aloud to yourself in a quiet space. The more you can hear yourself talk while wearing your devices, the easier the adjustment will be. Ask your provider for additional hearing aid tips if the issue persists.
Hearing aid battery life can be unpredictable depending on factors like the type of device you have, how you use it and the battery type. Because it’s hard to know exactly when your hearing aid battery might need to be replaced—the lifespan can range from several days to two weeks—it’s best to carry backup batteries with you. Batteries are small and can easily fit into your pocket, purse or wallet. While you’re adjusting to hearing aids, get in the habit of bringing batteries wherever you go—just like you probably do with your keys and cell phone. Use the Miracle-Ear app to gauge your typical battery usage; this will help you predict how often you’ll need to switch them out.
Replacing batteries can be done discreetly and only takes a few seconds. If your battery dies while you’re in the middle of a conversation, simply let the other person know you’ll need a moment to switch it out. Having an extra battery or two on hand means you’ll always be prepared and won’t miss out on important information.
The easiest and most convenient way to avoid this, though, is to use rechargeable hearing aids. Many models offer chargers that you can take on the go with you in case you’re running low on power while you’re out and about.
Once you start wearing your hearing aids, the difference in sound will likely be significant and noticeable. Simply recognizing the change in volume can help you remember to take it off or put it on each day while getting used to hearing aids. For example, if you forget to put on your hearing aid when you start your day, you might notice that the sound of the coffee maker, toaster, blender or other sounds are softer than usual. This will be a signal that you aren’t wearing your hearing aid, reminding you to put it on.
Setting up a routine can also help you get in the habit of putting your hearing aid on in the morning and taking it off at night. Leave the case or storage unit somewhere where you will see it, whether it’s next to your toothbrush (in a dry location), on your dresser or on your kitchen counter. Set a reminder alarm to make sure you wear your device consistently and remove it before going to bed.
Getting used to hearing aids is a process that takes time, but you can help support that process by making an effort to regularly wear your hearing aids.
Individuals with hearing loss sometimes tend to speak more loudly than others in order to hear themselves better—some people might even do this without realizing it. If you notice your voice seems louder with hearing aids, remember your device is simply amplifying the way it sounds to you.
As you spend more time wearing hearing aids, understanding the appropriate volume level to speak at will become more natural. You’ll also get a sense of how to adjust hearing aid volume to match your own voice and surroundings. Over time, you will start to feel more comfortable with this new volume and trust your instincts.
Tinnitus is often a symptom of hearing loss. While there isn’t a cure, wearing hearing aids can actually provide relief from the buzzing sensation. Miracle-Ear offers hearing aids designed to alleviate Tinnitus symptoms.
Likewise, hearing aids can only help in treating loss and will not make it worse. Although they aren’t able to restore hearing health, they create a fuller range of sound and better listening experience. One of the major benefits of wearing hearing aids is improved speech comprehension. By magnifying sound vibrations as they come through the ear, hearing aids allow those with loss to understand what people say more easily. Plus, hearing aids provide the stimulation nerves in your ear and brain need, helping to preserve your speech discrimination ability.
Treating loss with hearing aids sooner rather than later will help you continue to understand conversations.
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