It's essential to adjust your hearing aids if you want to have a good experience with them. A hearing healthcare expert will fit hearing aids customized to a user's hearing profile during a hearing aid fitting. 

Additional tests might be necessary to ensure that the hearing aid is fitted correctly. You'll also be taught how to use and care for your new devices. 

It is common for a hearing aid fitting to take more than one session before feeling comfortable with them. It may be required to tweak or fine-tune the hearing aids to provide the greatest sound quality to the user. Follow our hearing aid adjustment guide to get off on the right foot of your new hearing journey.

Just as you might not yet be comfortable saying, “I wear hearing aids,” it might take up to four months to become comfortable with your hearing aids and get the most out of them. Minor changes will be noticeable straight away, but it's crucial to be patient. Hearing aids may need to be adjusted multiple times during the trial period.

Remember that your hearing loss was progressive. Over time, you've lost your capacity to hear particular sounds in the speech spectrum and everyday background noises like traffic and wind noise, factory hum, to name a few. If you have any issues or questions regarding your progress, contact your hearing specialist for assistance.

When you first start wearing hearing aids, certain noises may scare you. Remember that your brain will gradually re-acclimate to these sounds. When you start using hearing aids, these noises will be recovered, but your brain will require experience and re-education to focus on and filter sounds.

Getting used to hearing aids takes time. Wear them as often as possible initially to improve your sound direction recognition and learn which settings are best for you in different situations.

The transition time may be exhausting. It's similar to retraining a muscle that hasn't been used in quite some time. However, the rewards will be well worth it after you've adjusted.

Getting hearing aids to help with hearing loss is a big step, but it's not the end of the road. It's a lengthy process that needs dedication, education, and patience.

You've come a long way in enhancing your hearing and your life by getting hearing aids. However, it will take some time for you to adjust to the new noises you're hearing and get the most out of your new hearing aids. You might find it helpful to follow this hearing aid adjustment guide to aid with your adjustment.

When first wearing hearing aid, you should start using it at home, where you have greater control over the kind of noises you hear and how loud they are. As a guide, go with your degree of comfort. If you wish to remove your hearing aids after a few hours, you should. Allow your ears to rest before putting them back on.

When you wear hearing aids, not only will it magnify speech, but they will also amplify all other noises in your life. All of the extra noises you could hear were pushed into the background when your hearing was normal, so they didn't distract you. You'll have trouble "tuning them out" until you become used to the noises of life again. Learn to distinguish the background sounds in your life by listening for them. Those who only use their hearing aids on rare occasions never completely acclimate and enjoy them.

Make a list of terms that differ only by one sound. Watch the lip movements and become familiar with the visual features of sound discrimination while your learning partner clearly pronounces the pairings of words. Then, repeat the challenge without seeing, focusing on the slight sound variations between the word pairings. Keep in mind that some speech sounds (such as Ps and Bs) are identical on the lips. Also, keep in mind that auditory discrimination can be difficult with compromised ears, and you may not be able to distinguish some sounds. However, with practice, you will become better.

Progressively increase the number of listening locations and people you converse with as you gain confidence in your hearing aids. You'll discover that some settings and voices are easier for you than others. Listening in groups will undoubtedly be more challenging than listening in one-on-one interactions. When listening in a group, pay special attention to the individual speaking the most. You could miss a word or phrase now and again. This is a common occurrence in every discourse. Listen for the concept underlying what is being said rather than fixate on particular words. Always keep an eye on the speaker's face. When you have a clear view of the face, even if you don't have any professional training in lip-reading, your understanding improves dramatically.

New hearing aid users frequently use their hearing aids at a volume level that is less than ideal. This is to be expected, given they are unfamiliar with the magnified noises they are hearing. After you've mastered full-time usage of your new hearing aids:

• Consider using them for brief periods during the day at a slightly higher volume setting.

• Expand on this higher level till you're utilizing it full-time if it's not too unpleasant.

• Ask your hearing care provider if your hearing aids volume control should be reset.

You don't need to limit your hearing aid use unless you're among loud sounds that might potentially impair your hearing. This can include power tools, lawnmowers, and some job conditions. You should remove your hearing aids and use hearing protection if you are exposed to such sounds. Hearing aids switched off in your ears have a plastic case that does not sufficiently preserve your hearing. Discuss your worries about hearing damage caused by loud noises with your hearing care practitioner.

Keep in mind that you didn't lose your hearing overnight. You won't be able to fully adapt to your new hearing aid sounds soon, either. However, if you put these recommendations into practice, you will continue to improve.

The following are some typical patient concerns that may require fine-tuning:

Your voice may sound distorted, muffled, or hollow, as if it were coming from a tunnel, or if you had a cold or blocked ear.

Tinny, piercing, loud, unclear, and hearing aid rustling sound are possibilities that you need fine-tuning. Hearing aids tend to cut in and out. Alternatively, you may experience a high-pitched squealing or whistling sound produced by hearing aids.

Voices, surrounding sounds, or the hearing aids themselves may be excessively loud or too quiet. Some noises, such as clattering dishes or traffic, might even be unpleasant.

Speech may be distorted, and it may be difficult to hear the television/radio, or sounds from a distance are more accessible to hear than those nearby.

We hope this hearing aid adjustment guide has given you some pointers on how to get started. If you need further clarification, want advice on hearing aid reviews, or want to have your hearing aids fine-tuned, contact EarPros. We have thousands of specialists ready to help you regain your quality of life.