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Hearing Loss: Should I Get Hearing Aids?
You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.
Hearing Loss: Should I Get Hearing Aids?
1Get the | 2Compare | 3Your | 4Your | 5Quiz | 6Your Summary |
Get the facts
Your options
- Try hearing aids. In most cases, you can try them for 30 days or longer and then return them if they don't help you.
- Learn how to live with reduced hearing without the use of hearing aids.
Key points to remember
- If you can, get a hearing test. Some types of hearing loss can be treated and corrected so that you don't need hearing aids. Your doctor can treat a buildup of earwax or an ear infection that may be causing temporary hearing loss. See an ear, nose, and throat doctor to find out if your hearing loss can be treated and if hearing aids will help.
- You don't need a hearing test to buy an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid. But a hearing test can tell you what caused your hearing loss. A test can help you know which hearing aid will work best for you.
- Hearing aids can help you hear better and feel connected to others.
- It may take some time to get used to using hearing aids. Many people do so and learn how to get the most out of them with help from their doctor or audiologist.
- Learning other skills can help when you live with reduced hearing. These include paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. You might want to take a lipreading class. Use closed captioning on devices when you can. These things can help whether you use hearing aids or not.
What are hearing aids?
Hearing aids makes sounds louder. There are many different styles of hearing aids. And you can add special features to your hearing aids. But almost all hearing aids have these parts:
- A microphone, to pick up sound.
- An amplifier, to make the sound louder.
- A speaker, to deliver the sound into the ear.
You can wear hearing aids behind your ear, in your outer ear, in your ear canal, or completely implanted in the ear. The kind of hearing aid you choose depends on many things, including your degree of hearing loss, your doctor or audiologist's advice, and what kind of hearing aid you want.
Most prescription hearing aids are digital and are adjusted by an audiologist using a computer. OTC hearing aids will need to be adjusted by you.
Hearing aids come in different styles. Some are very small and can fit completely in your ear canal. Some may be hidden in a small case behind your ear with a thin, see-through tube running into your ear canal. Larger styles fit in the outer ear. Each style of hearing aid has pros and cons. Work with your hearing aid provider to find the best kind of hearing aid for you.
How can you find out if hearing aids could help you?
If your doctor or audiologist suspects or diagnoses hearing loss, they may have you see an ear, nose, and throat specialist (an otolaryngologist or otologist). The specialist can check for other problems and help find out the cause of your hearing loss. They can also recommend possible treatments.
If the specialist finds that hearing aids will help, the audiologist can help you decide what type of hearing aid will work best for you. An audiologist can help you learn how to get the most out of your hearing aids.
An over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid may be an option if you're age 18 or older and have mild to moderate hearing loss. Ask your doctor or audiologist about buying from a trusted source.
OTC hearing aids should not be used if you:
- Are under age 18.
- Notice pain or discharge coming out of your ear.
- Feel like you or your surroundings are spinning (vertigo).
- Have ringing or roaring in your ear (tinnitus).
- Have hearing loss that's worse on one side or is only on one side.
- Have sudden hearing loss.
- Have severe hearing loss. You might have this type of hearing loss if you:
- Can only hear loud speech—even when the area is quiet or when someone is close to you.
- Have a hard time hearing others when it's noisy.
What are the benefits of wearing hearing aids?
Hearing aids can help you hear better and feel connected to others. They can also make you safer when you drive or when you work around your home. Hearing aids may help with your job, hobbies, and daily activities such as talking on the phone. Hearing aids often can be programmed to mask tinnitus (a ringing or roaring in the ear).
Wearing hearing aids also means that you don't have to keep asking others to repeat what they just said. You can again enjoy talking with others without extra effort.
Hearing loss may put you at risk for dementia. Some studies show that using hearing aids may help slow cognitive problems.
Will it be hard to adjust to hearing aids?
It takes time for your brain to adjust to the new sounds it's hearing. It may take several weeks to months for you to get used to your hearing aids. You may find that:
- Sounds seem strange. Hearing aids will not make you hear like you used to. If noises are so strange that they are distracting you and keeping your from wearing your hearing aids, tell your hearing aid provider.
- You hear things you haven't heard in a long time. For example, you may hear background noises (rustling papers, clinking silverware) much more clearly.
- You are more aware of sounds close to you. Your footsteps, heartbeat, or car motor may be much more noticeable. With time, your brain will get better at ignoring these sounds.
- Your hearing aids can be uncomfortable. But they should not hurt your ear or feel loose. Make sure your hearing aids fit before you leave the hearing aid provider's office.
- Sometimes your hearing aids will make a buzzing noise when you use a cell phone. This noise can make it hard to hear the person you're talking to. Your hearing aid provider can suggest hearing aids that work better with cell phones. And if you buy a new cell phone, find one that is compatible with hearing aids.
Here are some general tips to help you adjust to your new hearing aids.
- Start by wearing your hearing aids when you're talking to only one person. These are the easiest conversations to hear clearly. Slowly work up to conversations with more than one person.
- Continue to pay attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. Your hearing aids won't help you catch every word that is said, especially in a loud place.
- Wear your hearing aids. Start with a few hours a day, and work up to wearing them longer. The more you wear them, especially at the beginning, the faster you'll get used to them.
Why might you need hearing aids?
Your doctor or audiologist may suggest hearing aids if:
- You have a type of hearing loss that can't be helped by other treatment.
- Using hearing aids will improve your quality of life.
If your hearing loss is mild to moderate, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids might be an option. You can get them without a hearing test or visiting your doctor.
Compare your options
Compare
What is usually involved? | ||
|---|---|---|
What are the benefits? | ||
What are the risks and side effects? |
- You wear a hearing aid behind your ear, in your outer ear, in your ear canal, or implanted completely inside your ear.
- Depending on what type of hearing aid you get, you can control it for loudness and/or different hearing situations.
- Hearing aids won't restore normal hearing.
- Hearing aids can help you hear better and feel connected to others.
- Hearing better may make you feel safer when you drive or when you work around your home or on the job.
- Hearing aids often can be programmed to mask tinnitus (a ringing in the ear).
- Hearing aids can make it hard to pick out certain sounds or adjust to different listening situations.
- It can take weeks or months to get used to hearing aids.
- Hearing aids may feel odd in your ear at first and may cause some pain and tenderness in the ear canal.
- Hearing aids can be expensive, and your insurance may not cover the cost.
- You learn to live with reduced hearing by paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. You can also learn to read lips.
- You will not have to spend the money on hearing aids.
- You will not have to spend time getting used to hearing aids.
- You will continue to have reduced hearing.
- You may feel left out of conversations and not connected to others.
- Your relationships may be affected because you often have to ask others to repeat what they say. You may not hear them correctly, especially on the phone.
- You may not be as safe at work or when you drive because of your hearing loss.
Personal stories about getting hearing aids
These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.
For some time I could not hear my family and friends talking to me as clearly as I used to. Sometimes I gave them an answer to their questions that left puzzled looks on their faces, as if I had said the wrong thing. My wife complained about how loud I kept the volume on the TV. So I decided I needed to get my hearing checked. The doctor said my hearing problem could be helped with hearing aids, so I decided to get them.
Sanjay, age 51
I talk on the phone a lot for my job. One day I realized I had been having trouble for some time hearing what people said. I kept asking clients to repeat what they just told me on the phone. My doctor said I had some hearing loss in my left ear, the one I use for the phone. He said hearing aids would help. But I decided not to get them for now. I don't like the way hearing aids look, and I can get a volume control for the phone or use my other ear.
Andria, age 59
My wife kept kidding me that I needed hearing aids because I would ask her what the characters on my favorite TV show just said. I began to think that I did need them, so I checked with my doctor. But after she cleaned the earwax out of my ears, I found I could hear much better and didn't need hearing aids after all.
Colin, age 45
I don't like change and didn't think I could learn to use hearing aids. I live alone, and I'm pretty set in my ways. But I realized I was missing out on what my grandchildren were telling me. My friends encouraged me to give hearing aids a try, and my doctor said it could help. It took some time for me to get used to wearing hearing aids, but I'm glad I made the effort.
Ruth, age 69
What matters most to you?
Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.
Reasons to get hearing aids
Reasons not to get hearing aids
I need to hear better to do my job and other daily activities.
I hear well enough to get through my day.
Paying attention to people's gestures and facial expressions isn't enough to help me understand what they're saying.
I can live with hearing loss by paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice.
My hearing loss is affecting my relationships with others.
I don't feel that my hearing loss affects my relationships with others.
I am willing to take the time to adjust to using hearing aids.
I think it would be too hard to adjust to hearing aids and get them to work the way I want them to.
My other important reasons:
My other important reasons:
Where are you leaning now?
Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.
Getting hearing aids
NOT getting hearing aids
What else do you need to make your decision?
Check the facts
Decide what's next
Certainty
1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision?
Your Summary
Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.
Your decision
Next steps
Which way you're leaning
How sure you are
Your comments
Your knowledge of the facts
Key concepts that you understood
Key concepts that may need review
Getting ready to act
Patient choices
Credits
| Author | Healthwise Staff |
|---|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd Jr. MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Charles M. Myer III MD - Otolaryngology |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Lesley Ryan MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Lisa Hilbert AuD - Audiology |
Hearing Loss: Should I Get Hearing Aids?
- Get the facts
- Compare your options
- What matters most to you?
- Where are you leaning now?
- What else do you need to make your decision?
1. Get the Facts
Your options
- Try hearing aids. In most cases, you can try them for 30 days or longer and then return them if they don't help you.
- Learn how to live with reduced hearing without the use of hearing aids.
Key points to remember
- If you can, get a hearing test. Some types of hearing loss can be treated and corrected so that you don't need hearing aids. Your doctor can treat a buildup of earwax or an ear infection that may be causing temporary hearing loss. See an ear, nose, and throat doctor to find out if your hearing loss can be treated and if hearing aids will help.
- You don't need a hearing test to buy an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid. But a hearing test can tell you what caused your hearing loss. A test can help you know which hearing aid will work best for you.
- Hearing aids can help you hear better and feel connected to others.
- It may take some time to get used to using hearing aids. Many people do so and learn how to get the most out of them with help from their doctor or audiologist.
- Learning other skills can help when you live with reduced hearing. These include paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. You might want to take a lipreading class. Use closed captioning on devices when you can. These things can help whether you use hearing aids or not.
What are hearing aids?
Hearing aids makes sounds louder. There are many different styles of hearing aids. And you can add special features to your hearing aids. But almost all hearing aids have these parts:
- A microphone, to pick up sound.
- An amplifier, to make the sound louder.
- A speaker, to deliver the sound into the ear.
You can wear hearing aids behind your ear, in your outer ear, in your ear canal, or completely implanted in the ear. The kind of hearing aid you choose depends on many things, including your degree of hearing loss, your doctor or audiologist's advice, and what kind of hearing aid you want.
Most prescription hearing aids are digital and are adjusted by an audiologist using a computer. OTC hearing aids will need to be adjusted by you.
Hearing aids come in different styles. Some are very small and can fit completely in your ear canal. Some may be hidden in a small case behind your ear with a thin, see-through tube running into your ear canal. Larger styles fit in the outer ear. Each style of hearing aid has pros and cons. Work with your hearing aid provider to find the best kind of hearing aid for you.
How can you find out if hearing aids could help you?
If your doctor or audiologist suspects or diagnoses hearing loss, they may have you see an ear, nose, and throat specialist (an otolaryngologist or otologist). The specialist can check for other problems and help find out the cause of your hearing loss. They can also recommend possible treatments.
If the specialist finds that hearing aids will help, the audiologist can help you decide what type of hearing aid will work best for you. An audiologist can help you learn how to get the most out of your hearing aids.
An over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid may be an option if you're age 18 or older and have mild to moderate hearing loss. Ask your doctor or audiologist about buying from a trusted source.
OTC hearing aids should not be used if you:
- Are under age 18.
- Notice pain or discharge coming out of your ear.
- Feel like you or your surroundings are spinning (vertigo).
- Have ringing or roaring in your ear (tinnitus).
- Have hearing loss that's worse on one side or is only on one side.
- Have sudden hearing loss.
- Have severe hearing loss. You might have this type of hearing loss if you:
- Can only hear loud speech—even when the area is quiet or when someone is close to you.
- Have a hard time hearing others when it's noisy.
What are the benefits of wearing hearing aids?
Hearing aids can help you hear better and feel connected to others. They can also make you safer when you drive or when you work around your home. Hearing aids may help with your job, hobbies, and daily activities such as talking on the phone. Hearing aids often can be programmed to mask tinnitus (a ringing or roaring in the ear).
Wearing hearing aids also means that you don't have to keep asking others to repeat what they just said. You can again enjoy talking with others without extra effort.
Hearing loss may put you at risk for dementia. Some studies show that using hearing aids may help slow cognitive problems.
Will it be hard to adjust to hearing aids?
It takes time for your brain to adjust to the new sounds it's hearing. It may take several weeks to months for you to get used to your hearing aids. You may find that:
- Sounds seem strange. Hearing aids will not make you hear like you used to. If noises are so strange that they are distracting you and keeping your from wearing your hearing aids, tell your hearing aid provider.
- You hear things you haven't heard in a long time. For example, you may hear background noises (rustling papers, clinking silverware) much more clearly.
- You are more aware of sounds close to you. Your footsteps, heartbeat, or car motor may be much more noticeable. With time, your brain will get better at ignoring these sounds.
- Your hearing aids can be uncomfortable. But they should not hurt your ear or feel loose. Make sure your hearing aids fit before you leave the hearing aid provider's office.
- Sometimes your hearing aids will make a buzzing noise when you use a cell phone. This noise can make it hard to hear the person you're talking to. Your hearing aid provider can suggest hearing aids that work better with cell phones. And if you buy a new cell phone, find one that is compatible with hearing aids.
Here are some general tips to help you adjust to your new hearing aids.
- Start by wearing your hearing aids when you're talking to only one person. These are the easiest conversations to hear clearly. Slowly work up to conversations with more than one person.
- Continue to pay attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. Your hearing aids won't help you catch every word that is said, especially in a loud place.
- Wear your hearing aids. Start with a few hours a day, and work up to wearing them longer. The more you wear them, especially at the beginning, the faster you'll get used to them.
Why might you need hearing aids?
Your doctor or audiologist may suggest hearing aids if:
- You have a type of hearing loss that can't be helped by other treatment.
- Using hearing aids will improve your quality of life.
If your hearing loss is mild to moderate, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids might be an option. You can get them without a hearing test or visiting your doctor.
2. Compare your options
| Try hearing aids | Live without hearing aids | |
|---|---|---|
| What is usually involved? |
|
|
| What are the benefits? |
|
|
| What are the risks and side effects? |
|
|
Personal stories
Personal stories about getting hearing aids
These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.
"For some time I could not hear my family and friends talking to me as clearly as I used to. Sometimes I gave them an answer to their questions that left puzzled looks on their faces, as if I had said the wrong thing. My wife complained about how loud I kept the volume on the TV. So I decided I needed to get my hearing checked. The doctor said my hearing problem could be helped with hearing aids, so I decided to get them."
— Sanjay, age 51
"I talk on the phone a lot for my job. One day I realized I had been having trouble for some time hearing what people said. I kept asking clients to repeat what they just told me on the phone. My doctor said I had some hearing loss in my left ear, the one I use for the phone. He said hearing aids would help. But I decided not to get them for now. I don't like the way hearing aids look, and I can get a volume control for the phone or use my other ear."
— Andria, age 59
"My wife kept kidding me that I needed hearing aids because I would ask her what the characters on my favorite TV show just said. I began to think that I did need them, so I checked with my doctor. But after she cleaned the earwax out of my ears, I found I could hear much better and didn't need hearing aids after all."
— Colin, age 45
"I don't like change and didn't think I could learn to use hearing aids. I live alone, and I'm pretty set in my ways. But I realized I was missing out on what my grandchildren were telling me. My friends encouraged me to give hearing aids a try, and my doctor said it could help. It took some time for me to get used to wearing hearing aids, but I'm glad I made the effort."
— Ruth, age 69
3. What matters most to you?
Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.
Reasons to get hearing aids
Reasons not to get hearing aids
I need to hear better to do my job and other daily activities.
I hear well enough to get through my day.
Paying attention to people's gestures and facial expressions isn't enough to help me understand what they're saying.
I can live with hearing loss by paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice.
My hearing loss is affecting my relationships with others.
I don't feel that my hearing loss affects my relationships with others.
I am willing to take the time to adjust to using hearing aids.
I think it would be too hard to adjust to hearing aids and get them to work the way I want them to.
My other important reasons:
My other important reasons:
4. Where are you leaning now?
Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.
Getting hearing aids
NOT getting hearing aids
5. What else do you need to make your decision?
Check the facts
1. No matter what is causing my hearing loss, only hearing aids can help me hear better.
- True
- False
- I'm not sure
2. Hearing aids will be very hard for me to get used to.
- True
- False
- I'm not sure
3. Getting hearing aids can help me take part in conversations.
- True
- False
- I'm not sure
Decide what's next
1. Do you understand the options available to you?
2. Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you?
3. Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?
Certainty
1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision?
2. Check what you need to do before you make this decision.
- I'm ready to take action.
- I want to discuss the options with others.
- I want to learn more about my options.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd Jr. MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Charles M. Myer III MD - Otolaryngology |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Lesley Ryan MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Lisa Hilbert AuD - Audiology |
Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document some Information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:William H. Blahd Jr. MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Charles M. Myer III MD - Otolaryngology & Lesley Ryan MD - Family Medicine & Lisa Hilbert AuD - Audiology