Hearing aids are the most common treatment for people with hearing loss. In fact, in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid.
If you’re one of the millions of people who rely on hearing aids to help them navigate the world, one of the first and most essential things you need to know is how to adjust the volume on your device.
Adjusting Your Hearing Aids Manually
The most basic way of adjusting your hearing aids is to do so manually. While different hearing aid models may vary slightly, many come with manual volume controls that are shaped like small levers. Adjusting them is quite simple. You push the lever up to turn the volume up, and you push it down to make it quieter.
Every time you turn the volume up, you will hear a higher-pitched beep, and when you turn it down, you will hear a lower-pitched beep. If you hear a steady tone, that means you’ve reached either the upper or lower volume limit for your hearing aids.
Using a Hearing Aid Smartphone App
Some hearing aids come with an app that you can use when you link your device to your smartphone via Bluetooth®. Among the many other features, you can adjust the volume or change the settings to better match your listening environment discretely from your phone rather than having to press any buttons on your device.
Automatic Hearing Aid Adjustments Can Make Life Easier
We travel through many unique environments each day, all with their own volume levels. In one day, you can go from a quiet morning at home with your spouse to a busy commute and bustling office space, all followed by a fun night out with friends at Ravinia Brewing Company. Each environment calls for different volumes and settings to be able to pick up on the right sounds and, in some cases, ignore background noise that can otherwise be bothersome.
Having to constantly adjust your hearing aids every time you enter a new environment or the volume changes in your current one can be a lot. Thankfully, today’s hearing aids are equipped with the ability to detect your surroundings and automatically adjust the volume based on your hearing needs.
Bottom Line
There are multiple ways to adjust the volume on most hearing aids. If you’re new to using your device, know that it will take some time to get used to this new way of hearing. Take it slow, have patience with yourself and contact your audiologist about any issues that arise.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, call North Shore Audio-Vestibular Lab today.