Hearing aids are life-changing devices that help people engage, communicate, and love each other in incredible ways.
In fact, around 70% of hearing aid users admit that their hearing devices have helped them communicate better with their family, friends, and colleagues.
But what happens when your hearing aids start causing you some unexpected issues?
Headaches aren’t fun. They’re draining, bothersome, and directly impact your quality-of-life. So, when your new hearing aids are causing you headaches, it can feel like all of those wonderful benefits are washed away by the pain and annoyance of tight and painful aches in your head.
Luckily, you have options. Minor headaches with new hearing aids aren’t unheard of, but persistent headaches may be a sign of a poor-fitting device that needs some adjusting.
Are you experiencing headaches now that you have your brand-new set of hearing aids? Here’s what you need to know.
Your Hearing Aid Headaches May Be Normal
Let’s start with the good news. If you’ve recently acquired new hearing aids, getting minor headaches may be perfectly normal. There’s always a small adjustment period when you first start using hearing aids.
For some people, this adjustment period can cause very mild headaches. In rare cases (I have seen very few of these types of cases at my practice), this adjustment period can even cause migraines.
Remember, your brain is essentially re-learning how to hear.
Your hearing aid helps you hear new sounds that you haven’t heard for a while, and it can be a little overwhelming for the first few weeks.
However, in many cases, headaches are caused by a poor fit — not the adjustment period.
Many Hearing Aid-related Headache Issues Come From a Poor Fit
Everybody is different. There are no one-size-fits-all hearing aids. Similarly, every hearing aid needs to be adjusted to fit the specific needs of the user.
If your new hearing aids are causing you headaches, there’s a good chance you need to have them readjusted.
For starters, you may want to ease your way into experiencing the full range of new sounds, especially if you’ve been dealing with hearing loss for a few years.
Over time, you can ease your settings to allow more sounds, giving you time to fully adjust to your new hearing aids.
Alternatively, your hearing aids may not be properly adjusted for your type of hearing loss. Sounds may be too loud, too muffled, or too garbled.
I see this a ton in people who buy online or over-the-counter hearing aids.
These hearing aids aren’t adjusted to fit your needs, so you should pop into your local hearing care center for an adjustment.
Symptoms of Poor Hearing Aid Fit
Headaches are just one of many symptoms that can arise due to poorly-adjusted hearing aids. Other symptoms include:
- Poor sound quality
- Constant whistling
- Annoying feedback sounds
- Garbled voices and noises
- High-pitched sounds
- Low or high volume
- Tinnitus
- Comfort issues
- Soreness
- Itchiness
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, contact your local hearing clinic for a checkup and adjustment.
Preventing Hearing Aid Fit Issues
The single best way to prevent hearing aid fit issues is to get your hearing aids from your local hearing center and have them adjusted on-site before you take them home.
That being said, I completely understand that this isn’t always feasible.
Depending on your life circumstances, purchasing your hearing aids online may have been your only option, or you may have purchased them as a reflexive action once you finally decided to take that huge step and accept that you need hearing aids.
If your hearing aids are causing any headaches, soreness, tinnitus, or comfort issues, I strongly recommend taking a trip to your local hearing specialists.
Not only can they help you adjust your hearing aids, but they can give you the tools and resources you need to properly care for your hearing aids — as well as advice on how to establish a hearing-aid-friendly daily routine.
Do you need some help with your hearing aids? We can help.
Contact us at Dublin Hearing Center. We can help you adjust your hearing aids to prevent those headaches.
