Do Hearing Aids Cause Additional Hearing Loss?

Do Hearing Aids Cause Hearing Loss? Dr. Cliff Olson, Audiologist and Founder of Applied Hearing Solutions, answers the question of Can Hearing Aids Cause Additional Hearing Loss?

Images from: Venema, T. Compression for Clinicians 2nd Edition, Thomson Delmar Learning 2006

If you feel like the amplification you receive from hearing aids can damage your hearing, you're not alone. After all, for some hearing losses, hearing aids need to crank out a lot of sound just to make that sound audible to the wearer.

Too much exposure to loud sound could damage the hairlike structures inside of the cochlea, otherwise known as your hearing organ. Individuals with normal hearing have 3 rows of Outer Hair Cells (OHCs) and 1 row of Inner Hair Cells (IHCs). If you lose all of your Outer Hair Cells, you will be left with a Moderately Severe hearing loss.

Although, even though hearing aids do make sounds louder, it doesn't mean that they will damage your remaining hearing.

In a recent research study by Earl Johnson that was published in the International Journal of Audiology, he looked at the potential of increased hearing loss due to the use of hearing aids. He concluded that it was very unlikely that additional hearing loss could occur from hearing aid amplification. The one area that he did find additional risk was for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss already. This assumed an 8 hour average daily exposure to noise at levels that would indicate working in a factory or construction site.

All this being said, the perception that hearing aid wearers have is that their hearing is worse when they take their hearing aids out. This is due to an Adaptation and Comparison effect. When you wear hearing aids, your brain adapts to the new level of sound. When you take the hearing aids out, you experience an immediate reduction in your hearing ability. Even if your hearing hasn't changed at all.

All that being said, even though damaging your hearing with hearing aids is unlikely, it is possible to cause additional damage to your hearing if your hearing aids aren’t programmed correctly. Ensuring that amplification levels do not exceed a dangerous level is controlled in the hearing aid programming software.

During programming, your hearing care professional will limit the Maximum Potential Output (aka. MPO) of your hearing aids. Which is the Maximum amount of Sound that your hearing aids will generate. However, you can’t just drop the MPO to a low level to prevent any risk of increased hearing damage.

Too low of an MPO and your speech understanding and music appreciation will suffer. The trick is to set the MPO at the correct level to maximize benefit and limit the risk of additional hearing loss.

This is one of the risks to purchasing hearing aids online. If you don't have devices that are programmed correctly, you could end up with worse hearing than you did before purchasing those devices.

So if you are one of those individuals who are worried about your hearing aids making your hearing loss worse, just know that as long as you have the right hearing aids programmed the right way, it isn’t something you need to worry about

[shivone]

I had my first hearing aid at 15. Not very bad hearing loss but two weeks after I got it I lost all my hearing in my left ear. I had no issues with my right ear. Nobody could explain what happened. It took me 25 years to get the right one out of fear of losing the rest. I took baby steps with wearing it but 7 years later I'm graduating to a cros. Still terrified but getting more excited as I get newer devices.

[GPChesss]

I've had this question since about 10 years and its all answered. Thankyou!!

[hounddogmickey]

It's funny but when I take my hearing aids out at night it seems like my hearing is worse than it was. I never thought about it but after watching this video it makes sense. I wear the phonak audeo and i really like them. I recently had them reprogramed and cleaned etc as I was having some problems with them, all is good again.

[jeananderson]

Thank you. Useful information. Wearing hearing aids since April 2021 and just started to notice decrease hearing when removing at night, more than before aids. Becoming concerned on what to do. Going back to doctor to re evaluate my settings for peace of mind.

[kartgal]

It is so important to see an audiologist!!

[PlaystationGamerZX]

And that why I don't want to wear hearing aids cause it give me pain. Nobody not even my parents can understand it. Only person who can understand is those who have same experience as I have. It sad tho... somehow i knew it a loud

[ccandia]

Thank you so much for addressing this issue and making this video!

[deafinitelytay]

hi Dr. I have a question (audiology student). What is the maximum hearing loss that can be sustained from NIHL? You gave the example that losing all putter hair cells in one range can cause maximum 60 dB loss, what about inner hair cells? Do you lose outter and inner with NIHL? Thanks!!

[spotlight]

I had 75% hearing in only one ear but with everyone wearing mask, I could no longer read lips so I got a hearing aid.
The back ground noises were so loud that I went back & complained. They said they could do nothing and told me to use it all the time anyway. Now I have only about 30% hearing in that ear and almost completely deaf.
Of course, I cried.
I feel completely defected.

[LonerBecause]

This was my worry. This is good to know.

[corymiller]

Not all heros wear capes.... You're a good dude brother. Thanks for the vids

[gov]

Thanks for info, mom's hearing is worse. Now if she doesn't have them in I have to actually scream for her to hear me. Before I just had to speak up.

[parveenshaikh]

My 3 year old baby diagnosed with hearing loss with 70db. Doctor recommend hearing aids for him. Should i wait for 2 year more for aids. Pls help

[anetajohnson]

Dr.Olsen; Because I need new hearing aids, and dont want to make a several thousand dolor mistake buying the wrong ones, "witch I can"t afford to do!" A big thanks for your videows and information! Have you ever done that cratige for the Eargo NERO" there new offer? I dont recall seeing it yet..Again, your information is appreciated! Ill keep one ear on, and two eyes open for your advice! I plan on purchasing a pair of the "kirkland"sgnature 8s this month. from a local Costco.

[markferrell]

Thanks I've been wondering this for awhile now,

[sevincnehmedova]

Hello doctor, i made otosceloris operation 3 months ago, and after operation i lost all my hearing ability in my right ear, can i use hearing aid for my operated ear?can it be harmful?please answer

[yabonjin]

No, no, no. It is UNAVOIDABLE once you start using hearing aids that you will find it harder to hear than previously when you take them out. The good Dr Johnson’s study is flawed and goes against what we know about fatigue damage. If the loss is due to damage of the amplifying hairs inside the ear, and you start amplifying the sound levels for long periods of time through hearing aids then you increase the damage. I haven’t seen any damage curves for these hairs, but in common engineering materials, including fibers, increasing the amplitude by just 10% causes 2x the damage over time. So ONLY WEAR YOUR HEARING AIDS when you need to use them and never in a loud environment. I hate seeing these platitudes about it is ok based on 0 evidence.

My sister got my mother hearing aids that she didn’t need over my objections. At the time I thought it couldn’t hurt. Now when I came back to visit 3 months later I find she can not hear without her hearing aids. It just got me thinking about it and I realized, OF COURSE!

[kysry]

My only question is why are the manufacturers forcing people to buy only digital hearing aids?

[mmtmss]

Do rife frequencies have any help? I’m very skeptical but I see them online a lot. It’s tempting, but probably not true

[truthwillsetyoufree]

Hello Dr, my 8y old son use oticon for high frequency loss, but at the end of each day after school his ear pinna would be red and little bit swollen. He is off of all allergens. Audiologist also couldnot find any answer to this. Please suggest. I am clueless