Do hearing Aides degrade with time or is it the ears.

14 replies329 viewsLast reply Oct 25, 2026

I have been using the Oticon Intent 1 since the first came out in 2024. Initially I was very impressed. My comprehension improved and discussions in noisy environments seemed to improve. However my comprehension is now worse than before I got the Oticon and chewing, my own voice, extraneous noise, etc. make comprehension almost impossible. I've had the checked twice and firmware upgraded to the latest version but sounds and my voice are hollow and comprehension difficult. I'm scheduled for a full hearing exam next month, if my profile hasn't changed which HA should I ask the VA for. (I purchase the Oticon myself before my VA eligibility was approved)

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bradw Florida, USA

Oct 19, 2026

In my case some of that is in part my hearing getting worse (ears) over time. That's quantified by hearing tests a year or two later. But I think that what you are refering to is in part neither of those two things..... some seems to be caused by my brain just getting a little lazy!

When I first started wearing aids, I was amazed at how much they helped. That initial time with them seriously opened my eyes to how much I was compensating before. I seriously had no idea! I would compensate by positioning myself, by reading lips, and by working my brain to use contextual clues to fill in the blanks. No wonder I would be exhausted after a party or a group dinner in a loud restaurant.

I reckon that over time I got out of practice with a lot of that compensation. Also I suppose a little bit of laziness too....I'm just not going to go to that effort anymore to compensate... a "screw it" sort of attitude.

I'm just supposing, and this is not based on any knowledge or data, that the receivers might degrade a bit over time, if you have aids. Certainly they're exposed to moisture and such, and the wires get tugged and bent, etc... so it seems plausible to me taht over time their output could degrade... but that's a cheap and easy thing to swap. I seriously doubt that with good receivers, the output of the aids degrades over time in any meaningful way....

Neville

Oct 19, 2026

What you say makes it sound like they are just dirty... But you've had them checked twice? Have they been sent in under warranty for repair?

Any chance some newbie clinician messed up your settings? It have they not been changed from when you first got them? Ears clear of wax?

Full assessment seems like a good idea.

Bimodal_user

Poland

Oct 19, 2026

In reply to @cjb4

@cjb4 said:
chewing, my own voice, extraneous noise, etc. make comprehension almost impossible

Are you sure that wax didn't clogged vent of your earmolds? Sometimes a filament is necessary to unplug the vent.

cjb4Author

Oct 20, 2026

I wish it was just that. Took them in twice to the to have them checked. Hearing test early next month

But not sent away?

Melbourne

When I used ’s I had them sent away to be cleaned and repairs done if needed. I found my aids always had moisture in them. Even though I put them in the dry box they still had moisture. I’m assuming moisture can degrade the internal working parts.

Hildegard Central New York State

Oct 20, 2026

In reply to @cjb4

When I have had my hearing aids out for warranty service, I have been amazed at how much louder and crisper they sounded when I got them back. It took me a week or two to adjust, but I realized that things had become a bit dull sounding before they were sent out.

whazzat

Oct 20, 2026

Any support for the training programs like LACE? It seems they should be

1) Encouraged to the point of mandatory

2) Free/part of the deal, since their development was funded by state schools

3) despite high dropout rate, just a good idea

Hildegard Central New York State

Oct 20, 2026

I have never tried any of those. I use audiobooks, listening on Bluetooth. I think it has helped be a lot. At first i could only enjoy books read by male (low pitch) readers, but now I find I can understand women’s voices too. You can adjust the speed of playback, too. I get the books from the public library, but there are many sources.

My has improved over the last few years. I can’t definitively pinpoint a cause, but listening to audiobooks can’t hurt.

Um_bongoProvider

Wales, UK

Oct 21, 2026

Hearing aid mics do struggle with moisture and particles getting into the mic/receiver screens. The more ‘gunk’ in either end of the device, the more affinity they have for moisture.

People produce (or are exposed to) differing levels of moisture/acidity, dust and grease in any given climate or work environment. Different screen materials and service regimes are needed to accommodate these - however some people just ‘destroy’ certain types of product. Dispensers will know a few clients who are just ‘heavy’ on service needs.

It would be great to say: your hearing aids should last X years, but unfortunately unless you’re bang average it’s a difficult claim to hold on to - especially if the user is a bit of a ‘fiddler’…….

Neville

Oct 21, 2026

I wish I had a button to hand out that said "My hearing aid mics were full of goo!" Also, if I had a dollar for every time a patient told me that no one had ever told them to brush their mics. . .