Last week a client had asked me this very common and insightful question. It stands to reason that since most hearing losses are derived from excessive noise exposure, then shouldn’t constant amplification of sound and noise cause further damage? According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), “A properly fitted and maintained hearing aid will not damage your hearing.” Hearing aids do not amplify all sounds equally. If they are properly fitted, then they only amplify the frequencies in which you need amplification.

In addition, properly fitted hearing aids also taper sounds that would otherwise be considered as too loud by the wearer. Hearing professionals refer to this tapering as compression. So in this respect, properly programmed hearing aids deliver just enough sound for the wearer to hear, while not causing further damage to the remaining hearing nerves.

Conversely, many studies show that properly fitted hearing aids can over time help retrain the brain to process speech better. The nerves in the cochlea are not restored in any way; however the brain can relearn how to process the phonemes of speech in which it hasn’t experience for possibly decades depending on the individual.