How to Wear a Hearing Aid with a Face Mask

Wearing a face mask on a regular basis is one of the many new life experiences that have come along with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For most of us, it’s a minor inconvenience. But for people who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants, face masks can present real problems. Straps can get tangled in external hearing device components, creating discomfort or displacing your device. Hearing aids can also be accidentally pulled off and lost when you put a mask on, adjust it or remove it.

Luckily, there are solutions for maximum hearing aid comfort while wearing a face mask. Here are some of the best ideas we’ve found for how to wear a hearing aid with a face mask. Bonus: Many of these will also help if you’re wearing a mask with both hearing aids and glasses.

Hearing aid-friendly face mask tips and hacks

• Use a hearing aid-specific clip or eyeglass clip to secure your hearing device so it doesn’t get displaced by your face mask straps — clip one end to your hearing aid and the other end to your clothing.
• Ask your hearing care professional for a supply of medical-quality, double-sided adhesive strips or pads that stick to your device and your skin, keeping your hearing aid in place.
• Choose a face mask with straps that go over your head rather than hooking around your ears.
• As an alternative to traditional masks, try out a neck gaiter, which you can slip on and off your face and doesn’t require straps or ties.
• If you do use a face mask with behind-the-ear elastic straps, try one of these tricks:
  • Add strap extenders or connectors, which pull the elastic strap away from the back of your ear and away from your hearing aid. You can purchase ready-made styles or create your own. For instance, use a ribbon, barrette or even a large paper clip to connect the straps at the back of your head. Or sew two buttons to each end of a cloth strip — or onto a headband, positioning the buttons above your ears — and hook the face mask straps around the buttons.
  • If your hair is long enough to put in a bun, stretch the mask straps so they rest around the bun, not your ears.

More face mask and hearing aid comfort tips and hacks

Along with learning how to make your hearing aids more comfortable and compatible with your face mask, it’s also a good idea to make sure your hearing device fits properly. You might also ask your hearing care professional about ear molds, which can offer a snugger, more custom fit for your hearing aids. Your audiologist may even be able to share more tips and hacks gathered from other patients on how to wear hearing aids with a face mask.

The CareCredit credit card is an easy way to pay for hearing care appointments, hearing devices and accessories at locations in the CareCredit network nationwide. Use the Acceptance Locator or download the CareCredit Mobile App to find a location near you that accepts CareCredit.