When you drive your car, you change the speed based on the conditions of the road and traffic. Making those adjustments ensures that you reach your destination smoothly. Hearing aid programming is sort of like the gas pedal in your car—you can adjust it to meet the needs of your environment.
How Hearing Aid Programming Works
When you get your first pair of hearing aids, our experts will program them to match your volume and frequency needs. As you move from environment to environment, your volume needs will change. For example, a noisy night out at your favorite restaurant or bar will necessitate a higher volume than a quiet day at the Duluth Public Library.
There are two options for adjusting your hearing aids to match your setting: manual or automatic.
Manual Adjustments
You can make manual hearing aid adjustments by changing the volume using the buttons on the device itself or through the companion app. If your hearing aids have a companion app, you may also have access to directional microphones. Directional microphones are strategically placed in your devices to pick up and amplify sound in front of and behind you; they’re a crucial tool in noisy environments.
Some companion apps offer a “favorites” menu where you can lock in settings for the spaces you spend the most time in. For example, if you like to eat out, you could create a mode perfect for a restaurant and select it anytime you go to dinner.
Automatic Adjustments
Many newer hearing aids offer advanced AI that automatically adjusts their settings as your environment changes. Depending on your model, your devices could turn on directional microphones, raise or lower the volume or even isolate the voices you encounter most frequently.
Call Us With Questions
Hearing aids could benefit 28.8 million U.S. adults, and the right settings are key to getting the most benefit out of your devices.[1] If you have questions about adjusting your hearing aid settings, reach out to Hearing Wellness Center today. Our experts are more than happy to help you navigate your devices for the clearest sound possible.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (n.d.). Quick statistics about hearing. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing