Can Hearing Aids Cause Headaches?

When properly fitted, hearing aids should not cause you any problems. However, everyone’s hearing circumstances are unique, and without the right care and adjustments, there is the potential for your hearing aids to cause headaches as well as other issues.

Here at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas, we take multiple steps to ensure that our patient’s hearing aids are properly fitted, using a series of assessments and other tools. If you suspect that your hearing aids are giving you problems, we will be going over some of the most common side effects of improperly fitted hearing aids and how to fix them.

Headaches Can Be A Side Effect Of Poorly Fitted Hearing Aids

For those who are new to wearing hearing aids—or have just started wearing a new style of hearing aids—it is not uncommon to experience mild headaches for a few days. These headaches will often feel more like you are congested, but they should go away once you adjust to your hearing aids.

However, sometimes the headaches are persistent and can become painful, rather than just annoying. In these cases, ongoing headaches point to an issue with your hearing aids. They may need to have the hearing aid programs adjusted so that the sound input doesn’t trigger hearing aids. Over time, the sound settings can be eased into higher volumes as you get used to hearing with hearing aids.

Other Side Effects Of Hearing Aids Being Improperly Fitted

Headaches aren’t the only issue that can come up when your hearing aids are improperly fitted for your ears and hearing. Other common side effects—and their solutions—are:

Tinnitus – While hearing aids often are used to help with tinnitus, if the hearing aids are programmed to be too loud, they can actually trigger the wearer’s tinnitus. If you have found that you have been experiencing more tinnitus symptoms and your hearing aids are painfully loud, it is time to get your hearing aids reprogrammed to protect your ears.

Sore or uncomfortable – Sometimes, the earmold or custom hearing aid cases aren’t properly fitted to your ear, which can cause considerable discomfort. In these cases, the hearing aid case or earmold will need to be recast for a better and more comfortable fit.

Feedback – Another indicator that your hearing aids don’t fit properly is if you experience squealing, screeching feedback when wearing your hearing aids. Sometimes, simply taking out your hearing aids and reinserting them can correct the problem, but if it is ongoing, recasting may be needed.

Poor sound quality – If your hearing aid provider did not perform real-ear measurements with your hearing aids, you may end up with poor sound quality from your hearing aids. This poor quality generally comes in the form of being too quiet, though sometimes, hearing aids will be fitted to be too loud for the wearer’s needs.
Also, not all hearing aids are designed to help with all levels of hearing loss. For those who have severe-to-profound hearing loss, it is essential to work with experienced hearing health care professionals when looking for new hearing aids; otherwise, you may end up with the wrong hearing aids.

Itchy ear canal – Having an itchy ear canal is less of a hearing aid fitting issue and more of a sensitivity problem. While it may be tempting to take out your hearing aids and scrape at the itchy places in your ear, you can easily hurt yourself that way. Instead, you can visit our hearing clinic for ear wax softening drops to help clean out your ears or have excess earwax removed in-office.

How To Prevent Hearing Aid Issues

One of the most important things you can do to prevent issues from cropping up with your hearing aids is to not be afraid to tell your hearing health care professional your concerns. Some individuals worry that they will not be listened to when talking about their hearing problems and how their hearing aids aren’t performing properly. But, you will never need to worry about that at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas.

When it comes to your hearing, only you can know how well your hearing aids are working. So, if you feel like they are too loud, uncomfortable, or other problems, feel free to talk to us about it! The more our hearing instrument specialists know about how your hearing aids are working for you, the better they can tailor and program your hearing aids to suit your needs.

Also, to prevent hearing aid issues, it is critical that you keep up with regular cleaning and maintenance. By keeping your hearing aids clean, you can protect your hearing aids from moisture damage, as well as other issues. Another benefit of regular cleaning, you will be able to see if your hearing aids need repairs, and bring them into our hearing aid specialists for repairs.

Have Your Hearing Aids Adjusted in Las Vegas, NV

Should you find that your hearing aids are uncomfortable and you need them adjusted, you can get your hearing aids adjusted in Las Vegas, NV, at either of our two hearing aid clinics. We can work with most makes and models of hearing aids to help you enjoy your hearing to the fullest.

So, if you need your hearing aids adjusted, or you are concerned that your hearing loss has progressed, feel free to contact us today to set up your appointment with one of our hearing instrument specialists.