HOW DO I ADJUST MY HEARING AID VOLUME?

Your hearing aids are designed to meet the needs of many listening situations. Whether you are trying to hear someone whisper or trying NOT to hear your grandson’s screaming, your hearing aids are designed to accommodate the most challenging listening needs – often automatically and sometimes via manual controls.

Automatic hearing aid volume control

Your hearing aids probably have built-in automatic volume control. This means that the hearing aid volume is adjusted automatically in accordance with your sound environment. Loud sounds picked up by the hearing aid are amplified less than soft sounds, and the level of amplification will always depend on your hearing loss.

Manual hearing aid volume control

Sometimes you may want to adjust your hearing aid volume yourself. Many hearing aids also have manual volume controls, which are shaped like small levers.

Tips for using manual volume control

• Push the lever, or upper part of the control, upwards to gradually raise the volume.

• Push the lever, or lower part of the volume control, downwards to gradually lower the volume.

• Each time you operate the volume control, you will hear a beep – unless you have chosen to deactivate tones.

• When you raise the volume, you will hear a higher beep-tone for each step the volume is raised.

• When you lower the volume, you will hear a lower beep-tone for each step the volume is lowered.

• A steady tone will sound when the maximum or minimum volume is reached.

NOTE: Any adjustment of the volume setting will be cancelled when your hearing aid is turned off, or if you change program.

Getting used to hearing aid volume levels

Hearing aids can take some getting used to. During the first couple of days, the sound reproduced by the hearing aids may seem a bit overwhelming, and it may be difficult to recognize and distinguish between various sounds. If you use your hearing aids every day, you will gradually get used to the new sounds. Here are 5 tips to ease the transition:

• Start slow: Wear your hearing aids for one or two hours at a time.

• Keep it quiet: In the beginning, use the hearing aids in situations with few people and little noise.

• Go gradual:  Start gradually using the hearing aids for longer periods of time and in noisier environments.

• Relax: Allow yourself a couple of breaks during the day.