Hearing aid technology has come a long way in recent generations. Modern hearing aids are sophisticated and capable communication tools, with many features and settings designed to keep you connected to the world around you. In our increasingly digital culture, staying connected involves audio, video and streaming as well as face-to-face communication. So if you’re one of the 28.8 million U.S. adults who could benefit from hearing aids, you may wonder if you can use headphones with your hearing aids, and how.
Wearing Headphones Without Hearing Aids
Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, you may be able to remove your hearing aids and just use headphones instead. Do some experimenting and see what works. Be mindful, however, of the volume level. Protect your residual hearing and keep the volume low. If you find that you need to keep turning the volume up to hear the music or audio, using headphones without your hearing aids may not be a wise choice for you.
Headphone amplifiers, which boost audio while reducing background noise, and equalizers, which can fine-tune the frequencies in the audio to a level you can hear, are accessories you can use to make your headphones more adaptable to your hearing loss, but talk to your audiologist before trying these options. Over-amplification can expose you to dangerously high volumes, which will further damage hearing.
Bluetooth® Hearing Aids
An alternative to using headphones is to tap into the Bluetooth functionality of your hearing aids, if they have it, and many hearing aids do. Bluetooth hearing aids connect seamlessly with the electronic devices you use daily, like your smartphone, computer, tablet or TV, allowing you to stream audio from any of these devices straight to your hearing aid, rather than going through headphones. You’ll usually enjoy clearer audio doing it this way, plus there’s the convenience factor: your hearing aids are already in your ear!
Which Headphone Styles Work Best for Hearing Aid Users
There are three headphone styles: in-ear (earbuds, like AirPods), on-ear, and over-ear. Smaller hearing aids, like in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids, will have more options for headphones, and in some cases, they can even use earbud headphones. The bigger hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, will have more limited options.
Over-ear headphones work with almost all types of hearing aids, as they cover the entire ear and leave some space between the headphone speaker and the hearing aid microphone. This style of headphones is also advantageous to hearing aid users because they have superior noise cancellation.
Potential Risks of Using Headphones and Hearing Aids Together
Wearing headphones over your hearing aids for extended periods of time can affect your hearing aids. Pressure from the on-ear or over-ear cups or physical contact from earbuds can jostle and move your hearing aids. This increases your chance of feedback, since it can create openings in the ear canal for sound to escape, and it can cause damage to the tubing and wiring of your hearing aids. Furthermore, a misaligned hearing aid may feel uncomfortable or painful inside your ear. If that’s the case, contact a hearing health professional immediately to assess damage and discuss ways to wear your headphones more comfortably. Call PDX ENT for a fitting or service appointment, or to find out more information!
