Hearing Aid Programming or Hearing Aid Adjusting
When clients refer to adjusting in clinic it is often one of 2 things or both!
Adjusting to new aids or adjusting (what audiologists refer to as programming) the level of loudness and/or changing the preset programs of the aids.
Adjusting to new aids:
This can involve getting used to new aids after recently acquiring them or having one's current aids re-adjusted. Also if aids have not been worn for some time or never worn then a period of adaptation by the brain may be required. For this page we are going to discuss adjusting the level of sound or programs on your hearing aid.
Adjusting the volume of the hearing aid:
Can Hearing Aids be adjusted? Yes most of them can be adjusted. Infact most of them need to be adjusted periodically to match the levels of one's current hearing loss. This is why annual hearing review tests are encouraged. These annual checks provide the audiologist with the necessary information needed to reprogram or readjust your hearing aids to your hearing levels following a hearing test. At Sonant Hearing Clinic, we recommend a hearing test once a year and a hearing aid check every 6 months to ensure that the aids are working at their best.
For instructions on adjusting the volume of the hearing aid, The First place you can check for this is your hearing aid user guide. Most hearing aids have a toggle or rocker switch or a single button. Sometimes with CIC (completely in the canal hearing aid), IIC (Invisible in the canal hearing aid) or ITE (in the ear hearing aids) aids there may be no button!
If the hearing aid is wireless it may come with a remote control, or be wireless and paired to your phone via bluetooth for adjusting via an app on your phone. The hearing aid could also come with a remote control to enable adjusting with the seperate device.
The audiologist after discussion with yourself would usually activate or de-activate the volume/program button based on your individual preference and requirement.
The button can have several functions like the MFA (Multi-Function Button) button of the Phonak family of aids within the Marvel to Infinio range. This button can be for altering the hearing aid's volume, program, muting and/or switching on and off the aids. The single button could be programmed to have one side turn the volume up for both aids and the other side do the opposite, i.e turn the volume down. Some hearing aids with bluetooth technology have an app that enables the volume to be adjusted on the hearing aids.
If you find that you are often adjusting your aids, it may be time to see the audiologist to address why these changes are being made often on your part.
The audiologist will be able to re-program your aids to help reduce the frequency of adjustments you make. It could be that your hearing may have changed and the hearing aids need to be re-programmed after doing a hearing test.
At Sonant Hearing we will carry out your hearing aid adjustments for you and for optimal hearing aid adjustments we perform real ear measurements to ensure that the sound levels are reaching the exact expected levels and accommodating the shape, volume and individual ear canal resonance of your ears.
If you would like your hearing aids programmed you can contact us on 01634 479 550 or 079 22 153 134