Hearing aids are intended to help make up for your unique hearing loss problem. If your hearing aids are causing headaches or any other kind of discomfort, whether you’ve been using them for years or you’re a new user, there’s a solution.
If your hearing aid is properly adjusted it will meet your personal needs and fit in your ear comfortably. If this is not the situation, you should make certain you have the correct type of hearing aid and that it’s been precisely adjusted.
Signs your hearing aid needs to be adjusted
If your hearing aids are not precisely fitted, they can cause headaches. The reason for this is that they are not being used properly, or haven’t been adjusted for a long time. If this is the case, the following problems might arise:
- Feedback noise. Wind and other background sound can be picked up and boosted by your hearing aid, also generating screeching frustrating feedback.
- Headaches and tinnitus. Hearing aids that are picking up loud sounds and amplifying them further can be painful to your ears and can lead to not only headaches but also tinnitus. Typically, this means the settings are too loud.
- Poor sound quality. Improperly adjusted hearing aids can increase the volume of high intensity sound causing a loud irritating feedback that can damage your ears. And low intensity sound can get lost with hearing aids in this state.
Over-the-counter hearing aids
While over-the-counter hearing aids, commonly called personal sound amplification devices, are available at your local pharmacy, and are less expensive than prescription hearing aids, they won’t be tailored to meet your distinct hearing loss needs.
Hearing loss is distinct to every person so merely amplifying all sounds won’t be enough to improve your hearing. There are many cases of hearing loss in which people lose the ability to hear a specific frequency. Hearing aid settings have to be programmed to allow the individual to be able to hear adequately in different environments.
Professional hearing aid adjustment
One of the best ways to ensure your hearing aid is properly fitted is to have your individualized hearing aid fitted and adjusted. Custom-fitted hearing aids will be designed just for you using molds of your ears. Once the proper fit is attained, it will be necessary to adjust the hearing aid settings so you can distinguish between unwanted noise and the sounds you want to hear.
Your hearing aid should also make automated adjustments, which will allow you to hear background sounds in different environments without interference. This may require a few visits to make sure you get the hearing aid that’s best for you and correct for your lifestyle. And with significant hearing loss, your brain will need to become accustomed to hearing again in stages, so your hearing aid will need to be programmed in stages.
If you believe you may be dealing with an out of tune hearing aid, call us today and make an appointment to get it checked out.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids#hearingaid_08