Do Hearing Aids Make Hearing Worse?

A common question that audiologists receive when a patient is considering hearing aids is: "Do hearing aids make hearing worse over time?" After all, we’re always told not to listen to anything too loud on a continuous basis.  So, if hearing aids are making everything louder, wouldn’t this be harmful to our hearing? 

The short answer is, no, hearing aids will not hurt your hearing.  If the hearing aids are prescribed and fitted by an experienced audiologist, then you can rest assured knowing that it is perfectly safe to wear your hearing aids on a regular basis. 

Hearing aids are fitted with receivers (essentially the hearing aid’s “speaker”), which can be made with different levels of “power”.  Someone with a more severe hearing loss will require a more powerful receiver, while someone with a milder hearing loss will require a less powerful receiver. 

Additionally, a prescription based on each individual patient’s unique hearing loss is programmed into the hearing aid.  The hearing aid’s prescription is then measured and verified to ensure that the right levels of sound are being reached at all frequencies of hearing loss—thus ensuring that the hearing aid is loud enough for the patient, but also not so loud as to potentially cause further hearing damage.

Hearing aids are also only capable of reaching sound intensity levels up to a certain point.  This is known as the “maximum power output” or “MPO” of a hearing aid.  The MPO can be adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that the hearing aid does not amplify sounds to dangerously or uncomfortably loud levels.  

Will I Rely on Hearing Aids Too Much?

Another common concern people raise is: "Won't wearing hearing aids make me dependent on them?"  The worry is that using hearing aids too early will make natural hearing “lazier.” In fact, the opposite is true.

Wearing hearing aids may help reduce the risk of auditory deprivation. This is a condition where the brain gradually loses its ability to process sound effectively due to lack of stimulation.  If hearing loss is left untreated for a long time, there may be more difficulty with speech comprehension and overall auditory processing when one does finally start wearing hearing aids. This is because the brain will essentially have had less “practice” interpreting sound. Therefore, early use of hearing aids supports better long-term outcomes.

Should I Avoid Wearing Hearing Aids All the Time?

It goes without saying then that hearing aids should ideally be worn as much as possible.  It is generally recommended to wear your hearing aids from when you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night.  This applies even if you’re just at home on your own, not necessarily listening to anything.  People who wear their hearing aids consistently tend to have much better outcomes and greater benefit from the hearing aids than people who wear them sporadically.  This is because there are still lots of little sounds going on around you, and it’s important for the ears and brain to be able to pick up and process these sounds. 

There are a few exceptions to this.  It is best to avoid wearing your hearing aids when engaging in anything excessively loud.  This would generally refer to places like rock concerts, as well as if you are using power tools, lawn mowers, or participating in shooting sports.  These activities can very quickly exceed the maximum amount of noise you should be exposing yourself to, and therefore you should really be using hearing protection in these situations, rather than hearing aids.

It is also best to avoid getting your hearing aids very wet, even if they are considered water resistant.  Therefore, remove your hearing aids before bathing or swimming.  If you’re just caught in a rainstorm for a brief amount of time, then this usually isn’t something you need to worry about, as most modern hearing aids can handle some moisture.  If you are exercising for an extended period and tend to perspire heavily, then it may be worth removing your hearing aids for this as well. 

Why Does My Hearing Seem Worse When I Wear My Hearing Aids?

Occasionally, people may have the perception that they are hearing more poorly with their hearing aids than without them.  If this were indeed the case, then this would obviously be very counterproductive to what we intend with hearing aids.  Generally, hearing aids should always make you feel that you are hearing better overall and communicating with more ease.  While they will not eliminate all hearing challenges, they should still certainly be an improvement. 

So why would some people feel their hearing seems to worsen when using hearing aids?  Assuming the hearing aids are functioning properly and have been programmed and fitted properly, then this is usually a case of someone who has not yet fully adapted to amplified hearing.  As I discussed above, hearing aids require daily, consistent use for the brain to fully adjust to how a hearing aid sounds.  And the adjustment period will usually last for at least a few weeks, possibly longer.  Some people might get into a habit of only wearing their hearing aids when they feel they really “need” them, such as in busy places like crowds, group conversations, or restaurants.  The problem with this is that the brain suddenly becomes overwhelmed with lots of different sounds and noises all at once, and it will have difficulty filtering those out of the conversation the person wants to focus on.  Therefore, it’s important to wear your hearing aids as often as possible to ensure the brain gets “trained” to listen properly.  Some people might also benefit from additional “auditory training” to further help rehabilitate their speech understanding and recognition skills.  Some audiologists can provide this directly or can point you in the right direction if they feel this would be beneficial for you.

Conclusion

Suffice to say, you can wear your hearing aids with confidence knowing that they will not be harmful for your hearing.  Hearing aids are engineered to keep sounds at a level that is safe for your ears.  And wearing hearing aids will not make your hearing lazier or more “reliant” on something that you haven’t needed before.  Early adoption of hearing aid use, especially when hearing aids are worn consistently, is likely to lead to greater benefit from them, allowing you to hear and communicate with as little effort as possible.

If you'd like to learn more about the kind of hearing care we provide for our patients at Finchley Hearing, please explore our website and feel free to get in touch with any questions. We're a private, independent audiology clinic in London committed to ethical, evidence-based practices and would love to help you on your journey to better hearing.

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