Ask Anna: I miss my analogue hearing aids

Ask Anna is a weekly advice column for the hearing loss community. 

Dear Anna: I’m 33 years old and have been wearing analogue hearing aids my whole life (since I was 3). I recently switched to digital hearing aids and do not like them. I am aware that most audiologists have stopped providing analogue hearing aids, but I am unfortunately a minority who does not like the digital hearing aids. They sound very unnatural and high pitched to me, and I am struggling with the different hearing technology. I have tried various ones and still long to have my analogue hearing aids back! What can I do? – Longing for Analogue in Austin

Dear Longing,

This is indeed a difficult situation and one that many people like yourself have to face when the analogue hearing aids can no longer be serviced or replaced. The transition from analogue to digital can take time as you need to adapt to a different sounding hearing aid.

However, there are programming tips and tricks that can be used to make this transition more gradual. The idea is to make the digital hearing aid behave and sound more like an analogue hearing aid and then make small changes toward a more digital setting over time, taking care not to compromise on audibility. 

If I were you, I would go back to your audiologist and ask if it is possible  to program your hearing aids to behave more like an analogue hearing aid. This should allow your brain to get used to hearing sounds again with the new technology. 

Do you have a question for Anna? Email: feedback@hearinglikeme.com

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• Author Details

Author Details

Anna Biggins

Anna is currently the Senior Audiology Manager at Phonak. She has worked in the field of audiology and hearing aids for 25 years, and is passionate about all things audiology.