Sunday, March 24, 2024

Can Wearing Hearing Aids Cause Headaches

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Skin Irritations And Soreness

Do Hearing Aids Cause Additional Hearing Loss?

Sometimes, a hearing aid that fits poorly can be very uncomfortable to wear. Your hearing aid should fit you properly, secure, but comfortable. Otherwise, itll cause skin irritation. If its too loose the same can happen, too. You can avoid this side effect by going to a hearing instrument specialist and having your devices professionally fit.

Ensure The Aids Are Comfortable

The hearing aids should feel comfortable in your ear canals. It MUST be! If it isnt, then tell your audiologist because the one you have isnt the right one for you or it may need adjustment. If it needs to be replaced, do that while you are within the 30 day trial period.

If your hearing aid is uncomfortable and you just try to ignore it, it can create a headache or will more likely just be thrown in a drawer and you will never wear it again.

Talk To An Audiologist About Your Hearing Aid Side Effects

If youre concerned about how hearing aids might affect you in the long run, get in touch with us here at Kampsen Hearing. Youll be able to have a safe and confidential chat about your worries, and we can help you find the right solution for addressing your hearing loss related issues.

In an appointment with one of our experienced audiologists, we can talk you through all potential side effects of wearing hearing aids, as well as what types of hearing aids can best help to negate them. So, call us today at 369-5692 to speak to a representative, and book in for an appointment that could change your perception over hearing aids for the better.

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Signs Of Hearing Loss

It’s not always easy to tell if you’re losing your hearing.

Common signs include:

  • difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places
  • asking people to repeat themselves
  • listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need
  • difficulty hearing on the phone
  • finding it hard to keep up with a conversation
  • feeling tired or stressed from having to concentrate while listening

Sometimes someone else might notice problems with your hearing before you do.

Five Steps To Hearing Success

Can Hearing Aids Cause Headaches?

The following principles have been used by thousands of hearing aid wearers to successfully transition to better hearing health:

  • AcceptanceSurprisingly, the first step begins before the purchase of hearing aids. Accepting your permanent hearing loss prepares you to get the help you need to begin your journey towards better hearing.
  • Positive attitudeStep two is about making a personal choice to achieve better hearing with a positive attitude. Simply purchasing hearing aids does not signal success. To overcome hearing loss, you must have a desire to learn and determination to increase your ability to hear. Those who approach hearing aid use with a positive attitude are far more likely to achieve success.
  • EducationStep three, the most effective remedy for hearing loss is personal education. The more you know about your hearing loss and treatment, the more actively you can participate in your adjustment to hearing aid use. Hearing requires more than the ears. It is a complex function that requires the cooperation of the brain and your other senses.
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    Can Hearing Aids Cause Headaches

    Why can hearing aids cause headaches? When you have hearing loss, your auditory system and your brain dont get as much stimulation as they once had when you had normal hearing. Essentially, with a hearing loss, your hearing nerve and your brain are not getting enough exercise. So, when you first get hearing aids, you are basically suddenly asking your brain to work much harder, because you a hearing more signals coming from your daily environments.

    If you think about it, if I were to ask you to run a marathon, could you instantly do it? Probably not, unless you were already training for it. It is the same for your brain. When you first get hearing aids, some patients can get a little tired because their body is receiving more stimuli from the environment. Occasionally, patients can also get a headache because their brain is a bit on overdrive, hearing all these sounds again.

    Hearing Aids Should Not Be Causing Ones Tinnitus To Worsen And If They Do A Visit To The Audiologist Is Necessary Says Rivka Strom Aud Ccc

    The audiologist should check that the hearing aid is not set inappropriately loud, continues Strom.

    Hearing Aid Adjustments

    It is important that the audiologist perform a test called real ear measures to ensure appropriate settings of the hearing aid and to make sure the hearing aid never gets too loud to the point where it can exacerbate the tinnitus, explains Strom.

    Further, there is a condition known as hyperacusis which is highly comorbid with tinnitus.

    Hyperacusis refers to sensitivity to loud sounds. Severe hyperacusis occurs when an individual has difficulty tolerating everyday sounds which do not seem loud to others.

    Hyperacusis is not a disorder thats caused by anxiety or the so-called all in a persons head. Its a real condition, and its not just a mere dislike of certain sounds.

    Many people with hyperacusis do indeed suffer from tinnitus.

    So while plugging ones ears at the sound of piercing screams from playing children or an ambulance siren do not reflect hyperacusis, plugging ones ears to the sound of leaves rustling, the sound of two people on TV kissing, or the sound of a fan would be very suggestive of hyperacusis, or at least, selective hyperacusis.

    Sometimes, the noise of everyday sounds can literally cause ear pain in someone with severe hyperacusis.

    Dr. Stromis a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and has received several awards including Brooklyn Colleges Excellence In Audiology Award.

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    What Do I Do If I Wear A Hearing Aid And I Get An Ear Infection

    If you are a hearingaid user and you get an infection, dont panic. Instead, let your ears get asmuch air circulation as possible. Remove your hearing aids often in order toallow your ears a chance to breathe. This is especially important if you wearan in-the-ear style hearing aid since the hearing aid acts as a plug anddoes not allow much air from reaching the ear canal and eardrum. Additionally,keep your ears as dry as possible. If the infection has not eased or cleared ina few days, consult with your doctor. A doctor can prescribe antibiotics oreardrops to help clear a bacterial ear infection.

    Throughout theduration of the ear infection, it is important to continue your hearing aidcleaning routine. It is easy for bacteria to live and grow on your hearingaids. So even if your ears become clear of infection, an unclean hearing aidmay cause you to re-infect your ears with bacteria.

    Your Hearing Aid Headaches May Be Normal

    Can Hearing Aids Help Tinnitus?

    Lets start with the good news. If youve recently acquired new hearing aids, getting minor headaches may be perfectly normal. Theres 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 , 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 havent 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.

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    Its Easy To Get The Care You Need

    See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.

    Though an earache might be something most people remember from childhood, adults are not immune from them.

    Ear pain in adults is less likely to be caused by an ear infection than ear pain in children.

    In adults, the pain is more likely caused by one of a variety of issues:

    • Arthritis of the jaw
    • Tooth infection

    Symptoms of an earache can include pain, fever, ear drainage, nausea, and vomiting.

    When an adult has an earache, its important to treat the root cause of the problem, even if that problem isnt directly related to the ear, such as arthritis of the jaw.

    If you experience ear pain that doesnt go away or gets worse within 24 to 48 hours you should call your doctors office.

    Also call your doctor if you have severe pain that suddenly stops. This could be a sign that your eardrum has ruptured.

    The type of earache you have determines the best treatment:

    • For a general earache. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, rest in an upright position instead of lying down, and put a cold pack on the outer ear for 20 minutes
    • For ear pain from pressure change. Swallow hard or chew gum
    • For earaches caused by other medical issues. Visit your doctor to determine the best treatment on a case-by-case basis. This includes causes such as excess wax buildup, object in ear, sinus infection, sore throat, and tooth infection.

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    I Have Tinnitus Will My Hearing Aids Help Or Make It Worse

    Hopefully this is something you covered with your hearing care provider. Many new hearing aids come with tinnitus masking capabilities. Even without any fancy features, hearing aids often help people who have both hearing loss and tinnitus because hearing aids amplify the the sounds they want to hear while minimizing the sound they don’t . That said, medical experts are still not sure how or why tinnitus occurs, so you may need a multi-step treatment plan for your tinnitus, of which hearing aids play a big part.

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    Can Hearing Aids Cause Vertigo

    Vertigo â a dizzy, off-balance feeling â can often be a symptom of inner ear damage or infection. While vertigo can sometimes accompany hearing loss, hearing loss itself does not lead to vertigo. Treating hearing loss with hearing aids should also not cause symptoms of vertigo. If you feel dizzy with new hearing aids, you might want to meet with an audiologist to get to the root of the problem. Hereâs more information if youâre wondering can hearing aids cause vertigo.

    What Does Vertigo Feel Like

    Can Hearing Aids Cause Headaches?

    When people experience vertigo, they may feel that their head or surrounding environment is spinning. The turning or whirling sensation can cause light headedness, disorientation and sometimes a loss of balance. Although this might feel scary, its important to stay calm and breathe to center yourself if this happens.

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    Hearing Aids And Headaches

    bpmerillat said:Did any of you experience headaches when you first started wearing your hearing aids? I’ve read that while you are “re-training” your brain to hear sounds again, there tends to be alot of “brain strain”. I get my 1st set of hearing aids tomorrow…should I run out and buy a few bottles of pain reliever? lol

    NaidaUP said:I’m been told yes as they don’t actually set up first time users with the full amount of gain needed for their loss. Normally takes 4 To 6 weeks to get hearing aids set up to full amount of gain needed for your loss. I’m in the UK so tho may be different.

    bpmerillat said:Thank you NaidaUP! Guess I’ll be heading out shopping later I do believe I’ve seen your name on another forum…Hearing Aid Forums? If not, you have a thread name twin

    How Long Does Vertigo Last

    The timeline for vertigo symptoms varies from person to person, but one episode generally lasts for only a few seconds or minutes. But for some, the sensation could last for several hours or even multiple days. Certain people may experience very mild, brief periods of vertigo while others have more unpredictable and severe cases. The length of an episode can vary greatly depending on the underlying cause.

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    Picking The Hearing Aids That Best Suit Your Needs

    Although wearing hearing aids is about mitigating the effects of hearing loss, it is also about being able to wear it every day. Feeling uncomfortable about wearing your hearing aids will most likely lead you to not wear them as often, so picking the right kind of hearing aids is very important!

    Consider In-the-Ear models that fit directly into the opening of the ear canal with nothing sitting behind the ear. With how minimal the device is, it will not obstruct your glasses or mask and be more discreet.

    The major downside of ITE hearing aids is something called the occlusion effect, where the hearing aid blocks your ear and reduces sound quality for most kinds of hearing loss .

    Furthermore, smaller devices most of the time mean smaller batteries and fewer features, however, so be sure to weigh in all these aspects before you purchase hearing aids.

    Hearing Aids And Vertigo

    Why does it take time to get used to wearing hearing aids?

    The inner ear is one of three parts in the bodyâs system of balance, which also includes your limbs and vision, Catherine Palmer, PhD, professor and director of Audiology and Hearing Aids at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells WebMD Connect to Care.

    âSo, if your inner ear balance system has a problem and is literally telling your brain that you are in one position and your vision is telling your brain you are in a different position, this mismatch will cause the sensation of vertigo,â Palmer says.

    • Jerky eye movements
    • Sweating

    Hearing aids might help some people with vertigo symptoms since sound can help a person orient themselves and navigate their environment â but hearing aids are not a treatment for vertigo itself, Palmer advises. As for dizziness from hearing aids, this too is rare, according to Samuel Bittel, AuD, vestibular specialist and adjunct professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

    âIn an ear with hearing loss and normal anatomical structure, a hearing aid should not cause dizziness,â Bittel says.

    Vertigo with hearing aids could mean you need a device adjustment, or it could point to more serious conditions. According to Palmer, your audiologist can lower your hearing aidsâ sound output and modify the timeline for adjusting to your devices so youâre more comfortable. But if youâre experiencing long-term vertigo with hearing aids, you might need to get evaluated, Bittel advises.

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    Relax If The Hearing Aid Is Bothering You Take A Break From It

    How long does it takes to adjust to wearing hearing aids? It takes about 2-3 weeks to get used to the hearing aids if you are wearing them for at least 8 hours a day. That isnt a long time. However, it is an endurance process. If they are truly annoying to you take them off for a break or turn down the volume.

    Some people choose to wear them for just a few hours the first few days and then gradually work their way up to full time use of the hearing aids.

    How Do Headphones Cause Headaches

    Basically, when you wear really tight headwear, it causes abnormal pressure, which in turn causes headaches. It makes sense, right?

    The other thing that can cause a headache is listening to your tunes on full volume. While this is awesome, it can affect your hearing health in the long run. It can also lead to Tinnitus which sucks, trust me.

    Lets look into the source of your headphone headache in more detail.

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    If Your Headphones Are Giving You Headaches

    When, like in my case, your headaches are caused by the pressure your headphones are applying to your head, then the answer is simple. Just reduce the amount of time that you spend with them on.

    If, for some reason, you are keeping them on, but you are not listening to anything, then you need to break that habit.

    In contrast, if youre someone that just loves having music in your ears the whole day, then ask yourself, are you willing to sit with these headaches in order to be able to do this? Who can enjoy music with a splitting headache?!

    There are still other means of listening to music that will not have this effect. Instead of having your headphones on when you are home alone, rather put the radio on or enjoy some quiet time. You will soon feel your headaches disappearing, and itll be well worth the compromise.

    You might also be experiencing sore ears when having your headphones on for too long. And again, reducing your headphone-time will significantly prevent any damage to your hearing and also to your ears, enabling you to use your headphones for many years to come.

    I did an in-depth article on how long you should be wearing your headphones. Be sure to look into it.

    Is There An Adjustment Period To Wearing Hearing Aids

    Man Behind The Ear Hearing Aid

    It can take up to four months for you to get accustomed to your hearing aids and to really get the most out of them. You will notice small changes right from the start, but its important to be patient. If you have questions or concerns about your progress, be sure to call your hearing professional for help. Hearing aids often need to be adjusted several times during the trial period. This is a team effort, so do not be afraid to speak up.

    Be realistic

    Remember that your hearing loss has been gradual over the years you have lost the ability to hear certain sounds in the speech spectrum and normal sounds of the environment, such as traffic and wind noise, the hum of machinery and other background noises.

    Practice

    When you begin to wear hearing aids, these sounds will be restored but your brain will need practice and re-education in order to selectively focus on and filter sounds. Some sounds may even startle you at first. Know that your brain will acclimate to these sounds again over time.

    Be patient

    It takes time to adapt to hearing aids. Wear them as much as possible at first to become more skilled at recognizing sound direction and to learn which hearing aid settings work best for you in different situations.

    Rest

    The adjustment period may be tiresome. Its a lot like retraining a muscle that has not been used in a while. But the benefits will be worth it after youve made the adjustment.

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