Listening with hearing aids may seem unusual at first, especially if your hearing loss developed over several years.

It takes a bit of time and patience to get used to how things sound, and how the hearing aids feel. Try to wear them as much as possible to get the most benefit, gradually increasing the length of time you wear them each day over the course of the first week or two.

Your ears feel blocked

• When you first use hearing aids, your ears might feel as though they’re blocked - this is called the occlusion effect
• Some people describe it as similar to having earplugs in their ears
• Most hearing aids have a vent that helps address occlusion by allowing natural sound to pass into the ear
• With open fitting styles you may not experience occlusion at all.

Your own voice sounds different

• When you first wear hearing aids, your voice will seem louder
• As you wear them more regularly you will get used to the sound
• You hear whistling from the hearing aids.

High-pitched whistling is known as feedback.

• It can happen when you turn on your hearing aids while inserting them into your ears, when slipping clothing over your head, hugging someone or putting your hand close to your ear
• Hearing aids have feedback management technologies that greatly reduce the possibility of whistling.