What are the Side Effects of a Hearing Aid?

Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss. These are small electronic devices that can be modified to solve various types of hearing loss. Audiologists recommend hearing aids if your hearing tests show hearing loss across various frequencies. There are three main groups of hearing aids, in the canal (ITC), in the ear (ITE) and behind the ear (BTE). However, keep in mind that your hearing aids won’t restore your hearing to what it used to be in just one day and it is normal to experience a few side effects after wearing the hearing aids.

Hearing aids side effects and how to avoid them

Hearing aids are perfectly safe and benefit your health, but there can be an adjustment period that may include:

Headaches and tinnitus

Just imagine a loud sound entering the hearing aid and being intensified to a higher level of sound that may seriously damage your ears. Well, this is what happens when the volume of the hearing aid is not properly set. After that experience, it is possible to get a headache, tinnitus and earaches. It is always recommended that you properly adjust the loudness level limiter before you wear your hearing aids. Getting used to wearing hearing aids takes some time, and it can be very uncomfortable at first. This is because your brain needs to relearn the ability to strain out loud noises.

Itchy ear canal

An itchy ear canal is a common issue among hearing aids wearers. You might be wondering why your ear canal becomes itchy just after wearing a hearing aid. The reason is that the ear canal has a very delicate skin that has hairs that cause itchiness when irritated.

Hearing aids can also cause some allergic reactions; this happens when your skin reacts to the material of the hearing aid. Poorly fitted ear molds can also result in itchiness to the ear canal. The earmold is too tight and can sometimes cause the ear canal to build up moisture, which can lead to infection and itchiness. Always remember to keep your ears dry and free from moisture.

On the other hand, a buildup of earwax can cause itchy ear canals. Earwax is produced by your ear to protect the inner ear from dirt, dust and germs that can cause infections. When a buildup of earwax happens, nothing can enter into the canal. This blockage can trap microbes in the ear and cause an infection, which will result in itchiness.

Poor sound quality

A volume that is too high or too low can feel very uncomfortable and will hinder you from achieving the full benefits of your hearing aids. Hearing aids are tailored to collect high and low strength sounds; therefore, it is important to choose hearing aids that are adjusted to your precise needs. Some users complain that their hearing aids are not useful in noisy situations. That could be as a result of poorly adjusted sound quality. Remember that the high-intensity sounds can be amplified to make a shrieking sound that can be irritating to the ear, while on the other hand, the low-intensity sounds might not be picked up by the device. Therefore, proper sound adjustment is crucial to the functionality of your hearing aids.

Irritation and soreness

A badly fitted hearing aid can cause discomfort. Sometimes, digital hearing aids tend to be tighter and end up causing skin irritation, pain and general discomfort. Poorly fitted hearing aids can get loose and slip. To avoid such experiences, consult your audiologist to check if the device can be modified to fit your ears. 

Feedback

Feedback is a very normal occurrence. This is that annoying whistling sound that occurs when there is something wrong with the hearing aid. Luckily, there are hearing aid technologies that can suppress feedback by reducing or eliminating it. Usually, feedback comes from the amplification of the higher frequency ranges. Feedback can also occur when you put your hand over your ear, when hugging someone or when you want to remove your hearing aid.

Fortunately, today there are feedback cancellers, thanks to the digital hearing aids. Feedback cancellers get rid of that whistling sound. In case you are experiencing persistent feedback in your hearing aid, schedule an appointment with an audiologist to see what might be the problem.

Bottom Line

Hearing aids can improve your presentation at work and streamline all your day’s activities. They can also enhance your quality of life and make it more enjoyable. Although hearing aids have some side effects, they will go away on their own; you just have to be patient. Treating the side effects is as important as treating hearing loss. Therefore, if the side effects persist, call us at (864) 810-6238 to learn more about Davis Audiology and how we can mitigate them.