Can wearing a hearing aid worsen your hearing loss?
Phoenix Mesa Gilbert Chandler hearing doctor
When people first get hearing aids, they may have a number of different concerns. There’s certainly an adjustment period, and you’ll have to learn how to wear your hearing aids, figure out how to keep them clean and get used to hearing sounds that you’ve been missing for years.
One of the concerns that many people have is that their hearing aid will worsen their hearing loss. Do hearing aids cause a “lazy ear” and allow your hearing to become weaker? Will they make your hearing loss worse in the long run?
Hearing aids do not worsen hearing loss
In fact, hearing aids do not make hearing loss worse. It’s understandable to worry about the possibility. As audiologists, we’re constantly warning people about the dangers of exposure to loud noises, which certainly do cause hearing loss over time. Because hearing aids amplify sounds and make them louder, it’s very reasonable to worry that this will cause additional hearing loss.
However, hearing aid manufacturers have built-in safety controls to ensure that hearing aids aren’t dangerous to your hearing. Although your hearing aid will certainly make sounds louder than they would be without the device, it will not create sounds that are loud enough to cause damage to your hearing. The safety controls in the hearing aid are able to prevent this.
With newer digital hearing aids, technology has become very good at selectively amplifying the sounds that you want to hear, such as voices. This allows the hearing aid to keep the overall volume lower, while still allowing you to hear important sounds clearly.
Why does it seem like my hearing aids damaged my hearing?
Although hearing aids are safe and will not damage your hearing, sometimes it can seem like they have. This is simply an illusion. When you have hearing loss, your brain gets used to sounds being very quiet. After getting hearing aids, it will then adjust to the new normal, where sounds are easier to hear. Once this adjustment has occurred, when you take your hearing aids out, your brain will notice the contrast between what you hear with the hearing aid and without it. What used to seem normal now seems excessively quiet. This is why it might seem like your hearing aids have made your hearing worse, even though they haven’t.
This doesn’t mean that your hearing loss won’t get worse after you get your hearing aids. If you have presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), then the aging process will continue to take its toll, regardless of whether or not you wear hearing aids. Even without hearing aids, your hearing would likely continue to get worse. Wearing hearing aids doesn’t stop this process. You might need to have your hearing aids adjusted in the future if your hearing changes.
Phoenix Mesa Gilbert Chandler hearing doctor
If you’re experiencing hearing loss, there’s no need to worry that getting hearing aids would make this situation even worse. Hearing aids can improve your quality of life and can even help to protect your brain. If you’re in our area, we invite you to schedule an appointment for a hearing test with one of our highly qualified and friendly audiologists. We’ve helped thousands of people to experience the benefits of properly selected, fitted, and adjusted hearing aids. Simply contact our office at 480-456-0176 to schedule your appointment.
