Getting used to hearing aids
The first weeks
Adjusting takes time, and that is normal
If hearing has changed gradually over years, your brain has adapted to receiving less. Putting sound back changes what it receives, and that takes getting used to. Knowing this in advance makes the first weeks much less unsettling.
What people commonly report early on
- Everyday sounds seeming surprisingly loud — paper, cutlery, indicators, footsteps
- Their own voice sounding different, often boomy or blocked
- Awareness of sounds they had stopped noticing, such as a fridge or a clock
- Tiredness after a full day of wearing them
- A physical awareness of the device in or behind the ear
None of this means something is wrong. It is what re-introducing sound tends to feel like at first.
What is worth raising, not enduring
- Pain, soreness or rubbing — a device should not hurt
- Whistling or feedback that keeps happening
- Sounds that are uncomfortably loud rather than just unfamiliar
- Your own voice still sounding wrong after a few weeks
- A device that keeps working loose
These are adjustment matters. Bring them to your follow-up rather than deciding the devices do not suit you.
Roughly how it goes
A rough shape for the first weeks
Everyone differs, and this is a general pattern rather than a schedule to measure yourself against.
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The first few days
Quiet places first
Wearing them at home, in quiet, gives your brain a chance to re-learn everyday sounds before adding complexity.
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Building up
Longer each day
Most people build up wearing time rather than going straight to all day. Tiredness early on is common.
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Adding difficulty
Busier situations
Once quiet settings feel normal, adding one harder situation at a time — a cafe, a group, the car — is easier than facing them all at once.
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Follow-up
Adjustments
Your notes from those weeks are what a follow-up appointment works from. Which situations were hard matters more than a general impression.
Things that help regardless of devices
Communication strategies make a real difference with or without hearing aids. The New Zealand Audiological Society publishes a practical guide; a few of the most useful:
- Face the person you are talking to — seeing a face genuinely helps
- Reduce competing noise where you can: turn the television down, move away from the coffee machine
- Ask for rephrasing rather than repetition — different words often land better than the same words louder
- In a restaurant, choose a seat with your back to the room and the noise behind you
- Tell people what helps. Most will do it, and cannot guess otherwise
Common questions about adjusting
How long does it take to get used to hearing aids?
It varies between people and there is no fixed period. Most audiologists expect adjustment to happen over weeks rather than days, with follow-up appointments along the way. If something is uncomfortable, that is a reason to get in touch rather than to wait it out.
Why does everything sound so loud at first?
If hearing changed gradually, you stopped receiving some sounds a long time ago and your brain adapted. Re-introducing them makes ordinary things — paper, cutlery, traffic — stand out until you readjust. Genuinely uncomfortable loudness is different, and is worth raising.
Why does my own voice sound strange?
Having something in the ear canal changes how you hear your own voice conducted through your head. It is one of the most commonly reported early experiences and is something that gets addressed during fitting and follow-up.
Should I wear them all day from the start?
Many people build up gradually rather than starting with full days, particularly if they find it tiring at first. Your audiologist will advise what suits you — it is not a test of willpower.
What if I do not get on with them?
Say so, early, and be specific about which situations are the problem. Most early difficulties are adjustment matters that can be worked on. Quietly leaving devices in a drawer is the outcome everyone wants to avoid.
If you want your own hearing checked
Book a hearing appointment
This page is general information. A hearing test measures your own hearing and is the only way to know where yours sits.
Hearing with Heart
Audiology & Ear Hygiene
Unit 34, The Acres,
Halswell, Christchurch 8025,
New Zealand