DIY Hearing Aid Adjustment

Hearing aids may seem like a nuisance at first because you suddenly start hearing sounds that you often haven't heard in awhile. Hearing aids typically do not distinguish between the pitch of sounds and the appropriate decibel of those sounds. As a result, hearing aids take some time to get accustomed to and some adjustments may be required for them to be the most effective.

Volume Control

• Volume control is the most common problem people experience that requires hearing aid adjustment. You may need a volume adjustment if you hear loud noises where such sound levels aren't occurring or if you don't hear at the level you need to. You can adjust the volume with the control on the hearing aid, which is usually found on the opposite side of the part that goes inside the ear. You can consult your owner's manual to find the exact location of the volume lever, and it turns up or down by moving the volume lever up or down.

Pitch

• If you are hearing sounds at an incorrect pitch, most wearers normally turn their volume high in situations that don't warrant it, and keep it low when it should be raised, as they confuse volume with pitch. If the problem does not improve when you adjust the volume and sounds still are unpleasant or too quiet, a pitch problem may exist. This type of problem must be solved by an audiologist, as the fine-tuning required to correct a pitch problem can damage the instrument if done improperly.

Hearing Your Own Voice

• Hearing your own voice is yet another common problem many hearing aid wearers experience.This usually happens in those whose ear canal is fully filled up by an ear-mold. The way to solve this problem is to insert a small vent hole into the ear-mold. This is best performed by an expert, although it can be done at home if you use a pin or other small sharp object to puncture a hole in the ear mold. This will void your warranty and doing this on your own is not advisable.