Having to wear hearing aids for the first time can be a life changing event. One question that many have in the beginning is whether hearing aids can be worn with glasses. Rest assured! There is no need to change to contact lenses or to take your hearing aids off while wearing glasses. Hearing aids can easily be worn with glasses.
Hearing Aids Easy to Wear with Glasses
There are several types of hearing aids that are ideal for wearing with glasses:
- in-the-ear (ITE)
- in-the-canal (ITC)
- completely-in-canal (CIC)
- invisible-in-canal (IIC)
These four types of hearing aids are ideal because they are entirely contained within the ear canal or outer ear. There are no external tubes or plastic cases that hang over the outer ear. Eyeglasses, sunglasses, masks, hairbands, and other accessories can be worn as usual, with no interference from the hearing aids whatsoever.
More Difficult, But Doable: BTE Hearing Aids
Sometimes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid may be the best type of hearing aid for you. This may be due to your type of hearing loss or simply because you find BTE hearing aids more comfortable to wear. BTE hearing aids are not considered the ideal pairing for glasses, but with the following recommendations, BTE hearing aids and glasses can still be worn comfortably together.
Consider RITE Hearing Aids
BTE hearing aids come in two styles:
- a BTE hearing aid with a custom earmold and
- a receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) or receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.
RITE hearing aids have grown in popularity over the years. They are also referred to as receiver-in-canal (RIC) or dome style BTE hearing aids.
RITE hearing aids differ from other BTE hearing aids in that they have a thin wire going into the ear canal with either a custom earmold or a small, silicone, dome-shaped piece that contains the speaker and fits within the ear canal.
RITE hearing aids are recommended for those who need or want BTE hearing aids but wear glasses as well.
RITE hearing aids offer two benefits compared to other BTE hearing aids.
- The plastic case on the RITE hearing aid is smaller than on other BTE hearing aids.. This results in less weight resting on the outer ear and less interference with glasses.
- The second benefit to the RITE hearing aid is that the separation of the speaker and receiver leads to less feedback. In other words, your hearing aid will not squeal if it gets tangled up with your glasses.
Visit the Optician
An optician or optometrist can help you find the right glasses to wear with BTE or RITE hearing aids.
One suggestion is to buy glasses made from thin wire. Thin wire frames will free up real estate on your outer ear for your hearing aids to rest.
Another suggestion is to buy glasses with soft, silicone sleeves on the ends of the earpieces. These soft sleeves will not only rest more comfortably along your head, but also prevent the hearing aid from audibly bumping up against the glasses.
Practice Wearing Glasses with BTE Hearing Aids
The following are points of advice for wearing glasses with BTE hearing aids:
- Place your glasses on first before your hearing aids. The glasses should be worn so that they hug the side of your head.
- Place your hearing aids on next. The hearing aids should be worn in between the glasses and the top of your ear (also known as the helix of your ear).
- When removing your glasses, remove them in a straight-forward motion with both hands. Taking glasses off casually with one hand may cause the glasses to become tangled with the tubing on the hearing aids.
Take Breaks
The space on top of your ear is a small area for resting both hearing aids and glasses. Soreness and headaches are common complaints at the beginning. These are temporary symptoms as the body adjusts to the extra hardware on your ears. Until your body becomes used to wearing both hearing aids and glasses, it is beneficial to take small breaks.
You can take a break from wearing glasses while watching tv or walking outside. Likewise, take a break from wearing your hearing aids while reading a book or driving the car.
These small breaks are chances for your ears to rest, but beware! Be sure to put your glasses and hearing aids back on when you are done with your breaks.
Yes, You Can Wear Glasses With Hearing Aids
Eyeglass wearers commonly worry that hearing aids will negatively impact their lifestyle. Fortunately, there is no need to worry that hearing aids and glasses will never work together.
Both can be comfortably worn in harmony. Just let your audiologist know about your glasses, so that they can help you pick the best hearing aid for you.
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