Wearing hearing aids for the first time, or switching to a new hearing aid device, can be a significant change for many people. Of course, your hearing aids should do what they’re intended to do: improve your understanding of the speech and sounds in your environment. However, there are other effects of wearing hearing aids that you may or may not expect.

For one, the physical sensation of having a device in or around your ear can initially feel strange or uncomfortable. Sounds can also feel overwhelming or unnatural at first. You may not have heard certain noises in a while, or they may sound different to you as they’re filtered through your hearing aids.

When getting used to new hearing aids, some people may even need to adjust to the volume and sound of their voice due to the fact that it might sound different while wearing the devices. A study in the journal Trends in Hearing, for example, found that first-time hearing aid users commonly experience issues with the sound of their own voice while wearing the devices.

If you’re wondering “Why does my voice sound different with hearing aids?”, don’t worry—it’s completely normal. Below, we’ll discuss why this happens and how you can adjust to your new hearing aids.

How Do Hearing Aids Work?

The idea behind how hearing aids work is quite simple. Most hearing aid devices consist of the same basic technology: a microphone to pick up noises around you, an amplifier to increase the volume, and a receiver to deliver the sound into your ear.

Beyond this basic structure, however, there’s a good deal of variation between the types of hearing aids. For example, behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids have a shell that sits behind the user’s ear. On the other hand, completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are small, discreet, and sit entirely inside the ear canal.

What is the Hearing Aid Adjustment Period?

Regardless of which type of hearing aid you choose, there’s always a period of adjusting to new hearing aids. As your brain learns to prioritize the different sounds in your environment, certain noises may seem too loud or irritating. It can take up to a few months to get used to your new hearing aids, so it’s important to keep wearing them during this period so your brain has the chance to process and adjust to the new sounds.

Hearing Your Own Voice: What the Science Says

Air Conduction vs. Bone Conduction

Sound waves can reach your ear in one of two ways: air conduction or bone conduction.

• In air conduction, the sound waves travel through the air of the ear canal to reach the eardrum. The eardrum then sends vibrations to tiny bones in the middle ear, which pass the vibrations to the cochlea in the inner ear. This is typically how people experience sound.

• In bone conduction, sound waves reach the inner ear not via the eardrum, but via the other bones of the skull instead. 

Changes in Sound Perception

Humans typically hear their own voice via a combination of air conduction and bone conduction. Each of these two methods contributes to how you experience the sound of your own voice. This is why we often think our recorded voices sound different: we are only hearing the sound via air conduction, and the bone conduction portion (which tends to be deeper and more resonant) is lacking. 

If you have hearing loss, you may have gotten used to your voice sounding a particular way. However, hearing aids work by amplifying sounds that your brain has been accustomed to not hearing, which changes the way that you perceive these sounds.

Most hearing aids (although not all of them) use air conduction. As a result, the air conduction portion of your voice will likely be amplified, while the bone conduction portion stays the same—which can ultimately cause you to think your voice sounds different.

Common Issues for Hearing Aid Users

Other issues, such as feedback and the occlusion effect, can cause hearing aid users to think their voice sounds different.

Hearing Aid Feedback

Hearing aid feedback is a whistling, squealing, humming, or buzzing noise that occurs when the device’s microphone picks up the sound that the speaker sent to your ear canal and re-amplifies it. This can affect your perception of your own voice, especially when you’re wincing due to the effects of feedback. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent hearing aid feedback.

Occlusion Effect

The “occlusion effect” is a phenomenon that occurs when the ear canal is partially or completely blocked (occluded). As a result, you may hear lower sound frequencies (such as your own voice) at a louder volume. Since they are placed inside the ear canal, hearing aids may contribute to the occlusion effect, causing your voice to sound different.

Tips for the Hearing Aid Adjustment Period

1. Regular use

It’s important to wear your hearing aids as much as possible during the first few months after you get them. Your brain will only adapt to the new sounds you hear if you are consistent in using your hearing aids.

2. Practicing speech

Intentionally listening to your own voice can help you get used to it more quickly. Choose your favorite book and read aloud to yourself for thirty minutes every day while in the adjustment period. Other exercises, such as trying to identify sounds with your eyes closed, can also help.

3. More tips

There are other small things you can do in your everyday life to help during this adjustment period, such as keeping a journal, enlisting the help of loved ones, and exercising patience. Check out our blog 7 Great Tips for First Time Hearing Aid Users to learn more.

When to Seek Professional Help with Hearing Aids

Your voice sounding “weird” is a common occurrence when getting used to hearing aids. It’s natural for users to take up to a few months to adjust to their new hearing aid devices. If problems persist after this period, however, it might be time to reach out to a hearing professional who can make additional suggestions.

MDHearing’s team of audiologists and licensed hearing professionals has decades of experience in the field and want to help you succeed with your hearing aids. We can advise you on how to fit and wear your hearing aids, troubleshoot problems, and provide alternative sizes of parts to better suit your needs.

Need assistance? Our licensed hearing specialists provide free one-on-one support whenever you need it.
CONTACT US