Why Does My Voice Sound Weird with Hearing Aids? Occlusion Explained

You put your new hearing aids in for the first time, and within minutes of talking, something feels off. Your own voice sounds strange, like you’re speaking inside a barrel or hearing yourself through a bad phone connection. It might sound hollow, heavy or just not like you at all. This isn’t what you expected when you got hearing aids.

You thought they’d help you hear other people better, not make you sound weird to yourself. For some people, this feeling is mild and just a little distracting. For others, it’s so uncomfortable that they take the hearing aids out after a few minutes and wonder if they can even get used to wearing them at all.

The way your voice sounds when you talk matters more than you might realize. When you don’t sound like yourself, it can make wearing hearing aids feel awkward and make you more aware of having something in your ears.

Understanding why it happens and knowing that there are ways to address it can help you get through the adjustment period more comfortably.

How Your Hearing Aids Work

Modern hearing aids rely on high-speed digital signal processing to help you hear more clearly. When sound enters the microphones, it is immediately converted into a stream of data that an internal computer chip analyzes hundreds of times every second.

This chip is programmed to recognize the difference between the steady, predictable frequencies of background noise and the fast, varying frequencies of human speech. It can then suppress the noise while boosting the specific speech sounds that you have trouble hearing, like high-pitched consonants.

The hardware often uses a dual-microphone setup to manage where sound is coming from. These microphones work together to calculate the tiny time delays between when a sound hits the front of the device versus the back.

The processor uses this information to prioritize sounds coming from the person you are facing while quieting the sounds coming from other directions.

Once the audio is cleaned up and adjusted to your specific hearing levels, a tiny speaker sends the refined signal into your ear canal. This happens so fast that your brain perceives it as natural, real-time sound.

Why Sounds Feel Different With Hearing Aids

When you begin using hearing aids, everyday sounds often stand out more than they used to. Small noises like footsteps, appliances or papers moving around the house may suddenly feel more noticeable.

This is a normal part of adjusting as your brain relearns sounds it has not been hearing clearly for a while. Spending time in quieter settings at first and paying attention to familiar sounds around your home can help you ease into this change and recognize what is typical with hearing aids.

You may also notice that your own voice sounds different. Hearing aids amplify sounds coming from outside your head as well as vibrations from inside your body, like your jaw and skull when you speak.

Because of this, your voice can seem louder or more muffled at first. This can feel strange, but it usually improves as your brain adapts to hearing yourself in a new way. With time and consistent use, both everyday sounds and your own voice tend to feel more natural and comfortable.

Understanding the Occlusion Effect and Its Impact on Your Voice

The occlusion effect occurs when something blocks your ear canal, like a hearing aid or earmold. This can make your own voice sound louder, fuller or even echo-like.

To help with this, try speaking at different volumes and in different settings while wearing your hearing aids. If your voice still feels uncomfortable after some time, your audiologist can adjust the fit or settings of your devices. Small changes often reduce the occlusion effect and help you feel more comfortable with how you sound.

What Causes the Occlusion Effect

The occlusion effect happens when a hearing aid sits in the ear canal and limits how sound naturally moves out of the ear. When you speak, vibrations from your voice normally escape through the open ear canal. If that pathway is partially blocked, those vibrations stay inside the ear and are heard differently.

This is why some people notice changes in their own voice shortly after they begin wearing hearing aids.

How noticeable this feels depends on the style of hearing aid and how closely it fits in the ear. Devices that sit deeper or seal the ear more tightly are more likely to create this effect. For some people it is mild and fades quickly, while others notice it more until adjustments are made.

How Your Ear Shape Affects Your Voice

Every ear canal is different, and its shape plays a big part in how sound behaves. Narrow canals or canals with sharper curves can trap more of the sound created when you speak.

This can make changes in your voice feel more noticeable compared to someone with a wider or straighter ear canal.

Because of this, two people wearing similar hearing aids may have very different experiences. An audiologist can look at how the device sits in your ear and make changes to the fit or programming so your voice feels more natural during everyday conversations.

How Venting Improves Comfort

Many hearing aids include vents, which are small openings that allow air and some sound to move through the ear canal. These vents give sound a place to escape, which helps reduce the closed off sensation that causes the occlusion effect.

Vent size and placement matter, since larger or differently shaped vents can change how your own voice is perceived.

If your voice feels uncomfortable or distracting, venting is often one of the first things a specialist will review. Small adjustments here can improve comfort and make speaking feel more natural, without taking away the benefit of the hearing aids themselves.

How Jaw Movement Can Affect Hearing Aid Fit and Sound

Talking, chewing or yawning can change the shape of your ear canal for a short time. This movement may affect how well your hearing aid fits and how your own voice sounds to you.

If a hearing aid shifts position when you move your jaw, it might cause changes in sound quality or increase the feeling of fullness in your ear. If you notice these changes often, your audiologist can check the fit of your devices and suggest adjustments to help keep them comfortable during everyday activities.

Different Hearing Aid Styles and Their Effects on How You Hear Yourself

The style of hearing aid you use can affect how your own voice sounds. For example, behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids usually leave the ear canal more open, so your voice may sound more natural. In-the-ear (ITE) or in-the-canal (ITC) styles fill more of the ear canal, which can make your voice seem louder or fuller.

Choosing a style that fits both your needs and comfort can help you adjust to how you hear yourself with hearing aids. Each type affects the way sound travels in your ear, which is why some people notice bigger changes than others.

Comparing Open Fit and Closed Fit Hearing Aid Designs for Voice Quality

Open fit and closed fit hearing aids affect how your voice sounds when you wear them. Open fit hearing aids have a small tube or dome that leaves part of the ear canal open. This lets more natural sound and air flow into your ear, which often makes your voice sound more like what you are used to.

Many people find open fit designs reduce the “plugged up” feeling that can make voices seem too loud or echo-like.

Closed fit hearing aids use a snug mold or dome that blocks most of the ear canal. This design can trap sound inside, making your voice seem louder or deeper. The choice between open and closed fit depends on your hearing needs and comfort with how your own voice sounds.

The Impact of Volume on the Way Your Voice Sounds

Volume settings on your hearing aids can have a big effect on how your own voice sounds to you. If the volume is set too high, your voice may seem louder or more echo-like than you expect.

This happens because higher volume amplifies not only sounds around you but also the sound of your own speech. Lowering the volume slightly can sometimes help make your voice sound more natural.

Finding the right balance in volume settings is important for comfort and clear hearing. The specialist can help adjust these settings so that both outside sounds and your own voice feel comfortable and easy to listen to.

Tips for Adjusting to New Hearing Aids

Starting to wear hearing aids can make the world sound unfamiliar at first. Sounds you have not heard clearly in a long time may stand out, and your brain needs time to relearn what is normal.

This adjustment period is expected and does not mean something is wrong with your devices. A few practical steps can help make the adjustment process smoother and less overwhelming:

• Start in quieter environments: Spend time at home or in calm settings so your brain can get used to everyday sounds without competing noise.
• Wear your hearing aids consistently: Regular use helps your brain adapt more quickly than wearing them only in certain situations.
• Pay attention to familiar sounds: Notice things like footsteps, running water or household noises to help retrain your brain to recognize them again.
• Increase time gradually in noisy places: Ease into restaurants or social gatherings instead of starting with long or crowded outings.
• Give yourself listening breaks: Short breaks can reduce fatigue, especially early on, while still keeping you on track with adjustment.

Knowing When to Speak with an Audiologist About Concerns

Knowing when to speak with a local audiologist can make the adjustment to hearing aids much smoother. Some changes are expected as you get used to new sounds, like noticing everyday noise more or feeling tired after longer listening periods. Those experiences often ease with time.

If certain sounds continue to feel uncomfortable, distracting or make you want to limit how often you wear your hearing aids, that is a sign it may be time to check in rather than wait it out.

An audiologist can help you sort through what is part of the adjustment process and what may need to be changed. Small adjustments to fit or sound settings can often make a meaningful difference in how natural and comfortable things feel.

Sharing specific situations where you are struggling, like how your voice sounds or how conversations feel in noise, helps guide those changes.

Hearing Fully With Your Devices

Adjusting to how your voice sounds with hearing aids takes time, and it’s normal for the first few days or weeks to feel a little unusual. Your brain is learning a new way to process sound, and small differences in fit, venting or device settings can change how you hear yourself.

If your voice continues to feel distracting or awkward, an audiologist can help make adjustments to your devices so speaking feels more comfortable.

At Kricket Audiology in Montgomery, Ohio, we can review how your hearing aids fit, explore settings that may help and guide you through the adjustment process. You can reach us at (513) 322-1245 to schedule a consultation and begin hearing more naturally with your hearing aids.