Why Does My Own Voice Sound Too Loud With Hearing Aids or Amplifiers? The Occlusion Effect Explained
Why Does My Own Voice Sound Too Loud With Hearing Aids or Amplifiers? The Occlusion Effect Explained
If your own voice sounds loud, boomy or echoey the moment you put an in-ear device in, you are very likely hearing the occlusion effect: the ear tip is sealing your ear canal, and the sound of your own voice is getting trapped inside it. It is common with hearing aids and with personal sound amplifiers alike, it is not a fault, and in many cases it can be reduced with a different ear tip, a shallower fit and a little time.
Customers describe it to us in plain words: "they make your own voice too loud", "I get an echo when I speak", "I sound like I am talking in a barrel". This guide explains what is going on, how to tell it apart from whistling or a blocked ear, and the practical steps that usually settle it.
One thing up front: JD Health Tech sells personal sound amplifiers. They are not hearing aids or medical devices, and this article is general information, not medical advice. If your voice sounds boomy or your ear feels blocked even when nothing is in it, that is a different situation and worth a professional look.
What is the occlusion effect?
The occlusion effect is the boomy, hollow, over-loud sound of your own voice that happens when something plugs your ear canal. When you speak, part of your voice travels through the bones of your skull and into the canal from the inside. Normally most of that sound escapes out of the open ear. Seal the canal with an ear tip and it has nowhere to go, so it builds up against the eardrum and you hear yourself far more loudly than usual.
You can prove it in ten seconds. Press a fingertip gently into each ear to block it, then hum or say a few words. Your voice suddenly sounds deep, loud and inside your head. That is occlusion, and it is exactly what a tightly sealed ear tip does all day.
What people say it feels like
The important tell is the fourth point: the effect appears when the device goes in and disappears when it comes out. If the boomy, blocked feeling is there without the device, skip to the next section, because that is not occlusion.
Why it is not a sign that anything is broken
Occlusion is a side effect of a good seal, not a defect in the electronics. A well-sealed ear tip is what stops amplified sound leaking back out and whistling, and it is what lets a small device deliver clear sound with the volume set sensibly. So there is a genuine trade-off: the tighter the seal, the less whistling and the more own-voice boom. Most of the fixes below are about finding the point in between that suits your ear.
Is it the device, or is it my ear? Occlusion vs whistling vs a blocked ear
Three quite different problems get described with similar words, and they need different answers. Occlusion is your own voice too loud with the device in. Feedback is a whistle or squeal that other people can often hear too. A blocked ear that feels full and muffled all the time, device or no device, is a matter for a professional. The table below is the quickest way to place what you are experiencing.
| What you notice | Most likely cause | Sensible first step |
|---|---|---|
| Own voice loud, boomy or echoey only while the device is in | Occlusion effect from a sealed ear canal | Smaller or different ear tip, shallower fit, give it time (see below) |
| A whistle or squeal, especially near a hand, hat or pillow | Feedback: amplified sound leaking out and being re-amplified | Better seal, correct size, lower volume. See our whistling and feedback guide |
| Everything sounds muffled or quieter than it did, device in | Blocked wax guard or dome, or wax on the tip | Clean the device and change the wax guard. See our cleaning guide |
| Ear feels full, blocked or muffled even with nothing in it | Something in the ear itself, such as wax, fluid or congestion | Not a device problem. Have the ear looked at. Our conductive hearing guide explains why |
| Ear itches or feels sore where the tip sits | Tip size, material or skin irritation | See our itchy ears guide |
If your own voice sounds boomy, or your ear feels full or blocked, when you are wearing nothing in your ears, do not treat it as a fitting problem. A blocked or congested ear can produce very similar sensations on its own, and it can also stop any ear tip sitting comfortably. Speak to a pharmacist or your GP first, particularly if it came on recently, affects one ear, or comes with pain, discharge or dizziness. Sudden hearing change is treated as urgent, so do not wait to see if it settles.
How to reduce the occlusion effect: six practical steps
Many people can bring own-voice boom down to a level they stop noticing by changing the ear tip, the depth of the fit and, above all, by giving their brain a couple of weeks to adjust. Work through these in order, one change at a time, so you can tell which one made the difference.
Does the style of device make a difference?
In general, the less of your ear canal a device fills, the less own-voice boom you get. A completely-in-canal (CIC) device sits inside the canal and relies on a good seal, so it tends to produce more occlusion than a receiver-in-canal (RIC) design that sits behind the ear with only a small tip in the canal. That is one reason people with deeper voices, or who talk a great deal for work, sometimes prefer a RIC style. Our RIC vs CIC guide walks through the trade-offs, including discretion and dexterity, which point the other way.
We would much rather you tried a smaller tip than sent a device back, because for many people that is all it takes. But we also know that a small number of people never get comfortable with a sealed in-ear device, however it is fitted. If you have given it a fair trial and your own voice still bothers you, that is a legitimate reason to return within the returns window rather than persevere with something you dislike wearing. Returns are raised through account.jdhealthtech.co.uk, and our UK support team can talk through sizing before you decide.
When own-voice boom will not settle
If two or three weeks of daily wear, a smaller tip and a shallower fit have not brought your own voice back to something you can ignore, it is worth stopping to think rather than pressing on. The honest possibilities are these.
A personal sound amplifier is suitable for mild to moderate everyday listening challenges. It is not a fix for every ear, and it is not a substitute for professional hearing care. Being clear about that is the only way the people it does suit can trust what we say about it.
Find a fit you can forget about
Our personal sound amplifiers come with multiple ear tip sizes, plain-English fitting guidance, UK-based support and a clearly stated returns route, so trying a different size or a different style is low risk. If you are not sure whether amplification is the right tool for you at all, start with our free online hearing check.
Browse hearing amplifiers Take the free hearing checkOcclusion effect: common questions
Because the ear tip is sealing your ear canal. Part of your voice reaches the ear through the bones of your head, and when the canal is plugged that sound cannot escape, so it builds up and you hear yourself as loud, deep or boomy. This is called the occlusion effect. It happens with hearing aids and with personal sound amplifiers alike, and it usually eases with a smaller or vented ear tip, a shallower fit and a settling-in period.
No. Own-voice boom is a side effect of a well-sealed ear tip, not a problem with the electronics. If other people's voices sound clear and the boom disappears the moment you take the device out, the device is doing its job. The fix is in the fit, not in a replacement unit.
For most people it fades noticeably over the first days and weeks of regular daily wear as the brain gets used to the new sound of their own voice. It fades faster with consistent use than with occasional short trials. If it has not improved after two or three weeks of daily wear and a change of ear tip, look at the fit again or speak to support, because it may not be the right tip or style for your ear.
They usually reduce it a great deal. Open and vented domes have small holes that let low-pitched sound, including your own voice, escape from the canal instead of building up. The trade-off is a slightly higher chance of whistling, and less amplification of low sounds, so they suit people whose hearing difficulty is mainly in the higher pitches. Check what your device was supplied with, because not every model includes them.
Occlusion is your own voice sounding too loud inside your head, and only you can hear it. Feedback is a whistle or squeal caused by amplified sound leaking out of the ear and being picked up again by the microphone, and people nearby can often hear it too. They pull in opposite directions: a tighter seal reduces feedback but increases occlusion, so the aim is a fit that balances the two.
An "echo" of your own voice is the way many people describe the occlusion effect. You are hearing your voice twice: through the air via the device, and through the bones of your head, trapped in the sealed canal. It is not the device repeating sound. A smaller tip, a shallower fit and a couple of weeks of daily wear usually resolve it.
No. Occlusion only happens while something is plugging the ear canal. A blocked, full or boomy feeling with nothing in the ear points to something in the ear itself, such as wax, fluid after a cold or congestion, and it needs a professional look rather than a different ear tip. Seek advice the same day if your hearing has changed suddenly or in one ear only.
Yes, within the returns window, and it is a reasonable reason to do so if you have given it a fair trial. We would suggest trying a smaller tip and a shallower fit first, because that resolves it for many people, and our UK support team can talk you through sizing. If it still bothers you, returns are raised through your account at account.jdhealthtech.co.uk. Check the returns terms on our policy pages before you order so there are no surprises.
