How To Adjust Your Own Hearing Aids

Losing your hearing has many side effects, including fewer chances of finding a job, social withdrawal, and difficulties communicating with others. It can also lead to psychological and emotional problems and a drop in self-confidence. But a new hearing aid can change all that. And your decision to seek the advice of a hearing professional and take care of your hearing health will make all the difference to your world. 

Give Yourself Time To Adjust to Your New Hearing Aids 

So you’ve got your first set of hearing aids, which are adjustable at home? Wonderful! You won’t know yourself when your world of sound opens up, and you can hear things you never thought you’d ever hear again – even the sound of your own voice! And if you’ve worn them before and now have a new set of devices, you’ll know the benefits of having them adjusted properly. 

You will need patience and time to allow yourself to adjust to your new hearing aids. The tips below may help you get used to your new devices and show you how to adjust them at home to make sure you fully benefit from all the great experiences hearing aids provide.

Adjust Your Hearing Aids in a Quiet Place

Wearing hearing aids can open up your world, amplifying audio you missed out on lost due to your hearing loss and discovering new aural experiences. However, when you first put your new hearing aids on, you will notice how sounds, including background noise and even your own voice when talking, are much louder than when you aren’t wearing your aids. Just remember, based on how much hearing loss you have, your hearing care professional has fitted you with the right devices for your needs.

So, for new or seasoned hearing aid wearers, the first tip is to be sure to fine-tune your devices in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted by either other people or extraneous noises. 

Try not to change the volume on your devices

It’s best not to try to change the volume level on your hearing aids unless it is very uncomfortable or painful. Leaving the volume at the level set by your hearing care specialists is best, so you can become accustomed to hearing amplified, clear sounds.

Wear your hearing aids around the house 

Start by wearing your new hearing aids in quiet places. In crowded, noisy areas or places with a lot of loud sounds are not the best ways to get used to wearing your devices. You can become overwhelmed by loudness as you train your brain and ears to adjust to amplified sound. Start out wearing your aids at home for a few hours at first, then gradually build up the time you wear them until you’ve had them on for a whole day.

Make sure you clean your aids regularly

The natural enemy of a hearing aid is ear wax, and unless it is addressed, it can damage the delicate receiver located in the ear canal. Moisture and dust particles also pose a problem for your hearing aids. So it’s best to control the accumulation of earwax. Make sure your aids are dust moisture-free to lengthen the lifespan of your essential devices. 

How to fix feedback problems in your new hearing aids 

Your high-end hearing aids are probably fitted with systems to prevent acoustic feedback. But if your device is emitting annoying feedback noise, it’s a good idea to try to identify the kinds of feedback you’re getting so you can rectify the problem. 

There are generally three kinds of feedback that your hearing aids can emit:

• Mechanical 

Contact between the casing on your hearing aid and the speaker transmitting into the microphone can cause this kind of feedback. Unfortunately, adjustment of this problem should only be undertaken by a hearing health professional because the speaker placement must be changed to fix the issue.

• Acoustic feedback

Audio feedback is commonly caused by an ill-fitting hearing aid or blocked microphone. One way to fix the problem is to ensure your ears and aids are cleaned of wax. However, if this doesn’t work, check that the receiver direction is on. If this doesn’t work, speak to your hearing care provider for support so they an acoustical specialist can adjust the speaker’s placement on your aids to make sure they fit snugly.

• Electronic feedback 

Electronic feedback can be caused by a malfunction in the computer parts of your hearing aids. To fix the issue, contact your hearing care professional to open the case and find the source of the problem. They may also need to replace some of the electronics, so you cannot do this yourself.

Call on ACE Audiology for a hearing aid maintenance check

Adjusting your hearing aid yourself is a great skill to acquire that saves you time, frustration and money. However, perhaps your aids are not adjusting properly despite your skill and patience. Contact us at ACE Audiology in Melbourne for a hearing maintenance check either at Bulleen on 03 9850 8888, Ivanhoe on 03 9440 9409, or stay in touch by using the online form.