The answer isn't a simple "yes" or "no," but rather depends on the specific situation. This primarily depends on whether you are using prescription hearing aids or over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Different types of hearing aids have significant differences in the scope and methods of self-adjustment. Understanding this is crucial for safely and effectively achieving an ideal listening experience. Most modern hearing aids are designed to strike a balance between allowing you to perform "everyday controls" at home and having "deep programming" performed by a professional.
1. What you can adjust (Everyday Controls)
Most users can manage these settings through a smartphone app or physical buttons on the device:
Saving Presets: You can create and save personalized presets for frequently visited places (e.g., home, office, and restaurants), allowing for easy switching with a single click.
Volume Adjustment: The most common and intuitive adjustment method. Most hearing aids support independent volume adjustment for the left and right ears to meet different hearing needs.
Program/Scene Modes: You can switch between environment modes preset by your audiologist, such as "Restaurant," "Music," "Outdoor," "TV," etc., to help you achieve a better listening experience in different scenarios.
Equalizer: Many accompanying apps support adjusting bass, mid-range, and treble to make speech clearer, music richer, and the listening experience more natural.
Directional Focusing: Some high-end hearing aids support microphone direction selection, such as the "Speech Focus" function, which enhances speech directly in front while reducing side and background noise interference.
Tinnitus Relief Function: If your hearing aid has a tinnitus masking function, you can adjust the volume or type of soothing sound yourself to help alleviate tinnitus discomfort.
Noise Control and Speech Enhancement: In some applications, you can also reduce background noise intensity or enhance speech clarity to improve communication in complex environments.
2. What you shouldn't adjust (Professional Programming)
Certain "deep" settings are usually locked by professional software because incorrectly changing these settings can lead to headaches, "auditory fatigue," or even further hearing damage.
Gain and Compression: These are core power settings of the hearing aid, used to precisely control the amplification and dynamic range at different frequencies (Hz), and must be adjusted based on professional hearing test results. Maximum Power Output: This is an important safety threshold used to prevent sudden high-intensity sounds (such as door slams or collisions) from reaching dangerous decibel levels. Incorrect settings may pose a risk to hearing.
Real-Ear Measurement: Hearing professionals place a special microphone in the ear canal to measure the hearing aid's performance in your actual ear canal environment in real time, ensuring that the amplification effect accurately matches your individual ear shape.
Medical or Diagnostic-Related Procedure Settings: Parameters involving hearing assessment, disease screening, or rehabilitation programs should only be operated by qualified audiologists or professionals.
3. Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids vs. Prescription Hearing Aids
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Designed for users to wear and adjust themselves. Most come with an app that guides you through a self-administered hearing test and automatically sets the hearing aid based on the results. You have more control, but the accuracy may not be as high as prescription hearing aids.
Prescription Hearing Aids: Usually require adjustment by a hearing specialist using professional software. Many modern hearing aids support remote care: you can use the device at home via an app, and the hearing specialist can remotely send personalized adjustments and updates, combining professionalism and convenience.
Note:
If you are new to wearing hearing aids and the sound feels "sharp" or "harsh," this is usually your brain adjusting, not a problem with the hearing aid settings. Hearing specialists recommend wearing your new hearing aids for at least 30 days before making significant program changes, as your brain needs time to relearn how to process sounds you haven't heard for a long time. For more information, please refer to: How Can I Adapt to Using Hearing Aids?
The adjustability of hearing aids varies depending on the type; over-the-counter hearing aids are suitable for everyday self-adjustment, offering flexibility and convenience; prescription hearing aids, on the other hand, rely on professional adjustments, providing greater precision and reliability. Regardless of the type, using the self-adjustment features appropriately and seeking support from a hearing specialist when necessary will lead to the best listening experience and long-term hearing health.
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