Although the hearing aid facilitates hearing, complete or partial return of auditory skills may take 8-12 weeks. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the frequency of hearing aid use is related to the length of the acclimatization period. METHODS: We evaluated 20 elderly individuals (62-76 years old), from both sexes, with bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. Individuals were evaluated after about 3 months of hearing aid use and were fitted with digital hearing aid technology and a data-logging device. The analysis was performed using the data obtained from the hearing aid fitting software over the course of 3 months. We considered the following factors: acclimatization (level 1 [lowest] to level 4 [highest]), as well as the software used in the programming of hearing aids and the number of hours of use per day. Participants were divided into 3 groups: Group 1 (G1) consisted of patients who used hearing aids ≤5h/day for an average of 70.2 days; Group 2 (G2) consisted of patients who used it for 6-10h/day for an average of 70.5 days; and Group 3 (G3) used it >11h/day for an average of 70.3 days. RESULTS: There was no relationship between the frequency of hearing aid use and acclimatization time in G1. The frequency of use did affect acclimatization in G2 and G3 (G1: 63% /G3: 100%). CONCLUSION: The frequency of hearing aid usage can accelerate acclimatization, with related improvements in speech recognition and auditory skills. Increased usage allows the individual to adapt more quickly and increases the level of user satisfaction.
