How to Use Hearing Aids: A Beginner’s Guide

Which hearing aid goes in which ear? How do you turn it on? What if it starts whistling? And how loud should the sound actually be? If you are using hearing aids for the first time, these questions are completely normal.

Learning how to use hearing aids is a journey that goes beyond placing a tiny piece of technology in your ear. It takes a little practice to learn how to insert them properly, adjust the controls, stream calls from your phone, and let your brain adapt to a world of rich, detailed sound. And yes, it can take a little time for your brain to get used to hearing everyday sounds differently.

This practical, step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know: from putting your devices in correctly and adjusting settings to connecting Bluetooth, troubleshooting common issues, and keeping your devices clean.

What Does a Hearing Aid Actually Do?

Before adjusting buttons and settings, let’s first understand how the herding aid device processes sound. It helps clarify the machine’s usage. 

How Do Hearing Aids Make Sounds Easier to Hear?

Modern digital devices are mini computers tuned specifically to your hearing profile. Here is how sound travels through the main parts of hearing aid hardware:

• Microphones: Capture ambient sounds from your surrounding environment.
• Digital Processor: Analyzes sound waves thousands of times per second, separating speech from unwanted background noise.
• Amplifier: Boosts specific frequencies where you have hearing loss (like high-pitched voices or soft consonants).
• Receiver (Speaker): Delivers clean, processed acoustic signals directly down your ear canal toward the eardrum.

Key Takeaway: Hearing devices amplify and clarify specific sound frequencies based on your audiogram; they do not restore natural hearing instantly, but they help your brain process speech with much less effort.

Do All Hearing Aids Work the Same Way?

While internal processing is similar across brands, external controls vary depending on the style:

• Behind-the-Ear (BTE): The main processor sits behind your ear and sends sound through a clear acoustic tube into an earpiece.
• Receiver-In-Canal (RIC): The casing rests behind the ear, and a thin wire connects directly to a tiny speaker inside your ear canal.
• In-The-Ear (ITE)/In-The-Canal (ITC): Custom-molded shells that rest partially or entirely inside your ear bowl or canal opening.
• Rechargeable vs. Battery Models: Rechargeable models turn on automatically when removed from their charger dock, while traditional models use a small battery door as an on/off switch.

How to Use Hearing Aids Step by Step

Following a simple routine every morning helps you get comfortable putting on and taking off your devices without frustration.

Step 1: Identify Left vs. Right

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Step 2: Check Power & Battery Status

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Step 3: Position & Insert Into Canal

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Step 4: Turn On/Confirm Activation

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Step 5: Perform Quick Sound Check

Step 1: Check the Right and Left Hearing Aid

Hearing devices are custom-programmed for each ear’s unique hearing loss profile. Mixing them up causes uncomfortable sound levels and a loose fit. Look for color-coded markers on the casing or faceplate:

If your devices do not have color dots, look for a small raised “R” or “L” engraved near the battery door or receiver tip.

Step 2: Make Sure the Device Is Ready

• Rechargeable Models: Remove them from the charging dock. Look for a solid green LED indicator showing a full charge.
• Disposable Battery Models: Ensure you have pulled off the sticky protective tab from new zinc-air batteries and allowed them to sit exposed to air for 1 full minute before closing the door completely.

Step 3: How to Insert Hearing Aids Correctly

The technique of inserting the hearing aid varies with the model, so pick your model and see how you can insert the hearing aid correctly and smoothly:

For Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and RIC models:

1. Hold the curved wire or tube near the ear dome using your thumb and index finger.
2. Place the main plastic casing over the top of your ear pinna so it rests comfortably against your head.
3. Gently push the soft silicone dome or custom earmold straight into your ear canal opening.
4. Pro-Tip: Gently pull your earlobe down and back with your opposite hand; this straightens your ear canal and lets the earpiece slide in smoothly.
5. Tuck the small retention strand (if present) into the bowl of your outer ear so it stays anchored.

For Custom In-the-Ear (ITE/ITC) Models:

1. Hold the device with the small remote to keep it, or pull the downward-pointing tab.
2. Angle the canal tip toward the opening of your ear canal.
3. Twist the casing slightly backward toward the back of your head until the shell settles flush into your ear bowl.

Safety Warning by Audiologists: Never force an earpiece into your canal. If you feel resistance or sharp pain, pull the device back out, realign the angle, and try again gently.

Step 4: How to Turn On Hearing Aids

To turn on your hearing aid, you first need to identify the power system it uses.  

• Rechargeable Devices: Most turn on automatically 3–5 seconds after being lifted from their powered charging base.
• Push-Button Activation: Hold the main rocker switch or push button down for 2–3 seconds until an indicator light flashes or a chime plays through the speaker.
• Battery Door Models: Close the battery drawer completely flush against the shell. To turn the device off at night, swing the drawer open slightly.

Step 5: Give Your Devices a Quick Sound Check

Before heading out for the day, check these four points:

• Is speech coming through clearly in both ears?
• Are everyday ambient sounds (like running water or footsteps) audible?
• Is there any high-pitched whistling or feedback?
• Is the shell sitting flush and comfortable without pinching?

How to Adjust Hearing Aid Volume?

Using the hearing aid is incomplete without knowing how to adjust its volume. As for the most comfortable and convenient sound experience, you should know how to control the volume and when to let it be.

Using Physical Buttons on the Device

Many BTE, RIC, and larger in-ear models feature a short toggle switch or push button on the back casing:

• Volume Up: Short press on the upper button (a short beep usually confirms each step up).
• Volume Down: Short press the lower button.
• Maximum/Minimum Limits: A double beep or long chime alerts you when you reach the highest or lowest volume threshold.

Adjusting Volume Through a Smartphone App

Modern connected devices let you control volume right from your mobile screen:

1. Open your manufacturer’s companion app (e.g., Phonak Remote, Signia App, Oticon Companion).
2. Use the master slider to adjust both ears together or unlink them to adjust the left and right ears independently.
3. Reset back to your audiologist’s baseline prescription with a single tap on the “Default” button.

How Loud Should Your Devices Be?

Louder does not automatically mean clearer. The goal is comfortable, natural amplification. If everyday sounds, like clinking dishes or car engines, consistently feel painfully harsh, speak with your audiologist rather than manually turning the volume down all day. Health organizations like the NIDCD recommend mastering basic volume and program controls during your initial fitting and follow-up clinical visits.

How to Use Hearing Aid Settings?

Beyond basic volume adjustments, modern digital hearing technology includes pre-set environment programs to help you hear better in different acoustic conditions.

Understanding Hearing Aid Programs

Your audiologist can program distinct listening modes into your device memory:

What You Can Do in the Companion App

Depending on your model, your smartphone app serves as a wireless remote control, allowing you to

• Switch between programmed environment profiles.
• Check real-time battery charge percentages.
• Adjust bass, middle, and treble frequency balances.
• Use a “Find My Hearing Aid” GPS map if you misplace a device.

User Controls vs. Professional Programming

Think of your user controls like a car’s volume knob and climate controls; they are designed for daily on-the-fly tweaks. Deep settings, like target gain curves, frequency compression, and maximum power output, are managed by your audiologist using specialized clinical software during your follow-up appointments.

How to Use Hearing Aids in Everyday Situations?

Adapting to new devices takes practice across different environments. Here is how to navigate common daily scenarios smoothly.

Using Hearing Aids at Home

Start in a controlled, quiet setting during your first few days:

• Practice listening to a single family member speaking at a normal conversational distance.
• Keep the television at a normal volume level rather than turning it up high.
• Pay attention to background household sounds (like the refrigerator or AC hum) without getting overwhelmed; your brain will naturally learn to filter them out over time.

Using Hearing Aids in Noisy Places

When visiting busy restaurants, shopping malls, or group gatherings:

• Position Yourself Smartly: Sit with your back against a wall or corner to keep background noise behind you.
• Face Your Speaker: Look directly at the person talking to combine visual lip-reading cues with amplified audio.
• Switch Programs: Use your app or push button to activate your “Speech in Noise” preset.
• Lower Background Expectations: Remember that even people with normal hearing struggle to hear every word in loud venues.

How to Use Hearing Aids With Smartphones?

Connecting your devices via Bluetooth lets you stream phone calls, audiobooks, and navigation prompts straight to your ears.

Enable Bluetooth on Phone 

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Place Devices in Pairing Mode (Open/Close Battery Doors or Restart)

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Open Phone Settings → Accessibility/Bluetooth

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Select Your Devices & Confirm Pairing

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Test Audio with a Brief Call or Stream

1. Turn on Bluetooth in your iOS or Android settings menu.
2. Put your hearing devices into pairing mode by restarting them (place them in the charger for 5 seconds and pull them out, or open and close the battery doors).
3. Under your phone’s Bluetooth or “Hearing Devices” menu, tap on your name/device model when it appears.
4. Confirm the pairing prompt and test a short phone call or audio clip to verify two-way streaming.

How to Use Hearing Aids for TV Listening?

If you still struggle with TV dialogue clarity, ask your clinical specialist about dedicated TV streamer accessories. These small transmitters plug into your television’s optical port and beam crystal-clear stereo audio straight into your devices, completely bypassing room echo.

Note: For long-term, accurate use of a hearing aid, one also needs to understand hearing aid care and maintenance tips. 

Helpful Hearing Aid Tips for Beginners

Following these practical hearing aid tips for beginners will help make your transition smoother and more comfortable:

• Start in a Quiet Environment: Spend your first 2 to 3 days using your devices mainly at home. Limiting background noise helps your auditory cortex get used to clear sound without feeling overwhelmed.
• Increase Wearing Time Gradually: Wear your devices for 3 to 4 hours on day one, expanding by 1 to 2 hours each day until you are wearing them all day long.
• Practice with Familiar Voices: Read a book or newspaper aloud to yourself to get used to the sound of your own voice, or ask a partner to read while you follow along.
• Keep a Daily Hearing Journal: Write down any sounds that feel uncomfortably loud, muffled, or squeaky, along with the location where they happened. Bring these notes to your audiologist for quick fine-tuning.
• Give Your Brain Time to Adjust: It takes time for your brain to re-learn how to filter out secondary sounds (like air conditioners or refrigerator hums). Consistency is key to building sound tolerance.

Troubleshooting Common Hearing Aid Problems

If your device is not sounding right, simple physical or power issues are usually the cause. Use this quick reference guide to troubleshoot at home:

When Should You Contact Your Audiologist?

While minor troubleshooting can be done at home, reach out to your clinic if you experience:

• Physical pain, soreness, or redness inside your ear canal.
• Frequent acoustic feedback (whistling) despite correct insertion.
• Sudden, unexplained changes in your hearing ability.
• Persistent dead air or intermittent cutting out after changing wax filters and batteries.

Organizations like the Cleveland Clinic emphasize contacting your clinical team whenever your devices cause discomfort or stop delivering clear speech benefits.

How Long Does It Take to Get Used to Hearing Aids?

Adapting to new hearing technology is a process that unfolds over several weeks. Your brain needs time to build new neural connections for sounds you haven’t heard clearly in years.

What You May Notice in the First Few Days

• Background Sounds Seem Exaggerated: Footsteps, rustling paper, and running water may sound surprisingly sharp or loud.
• Your Own Voice Sounds Different: You may experience the “occlusion effect,” where your voice sounds slightly hollow or echoey inside your head.
• Mild Ear Awareness: You will feel the earpiece in your ear canal, similar to wearing a new pair of shoes.

What Is Normal vs. What Requires Attention

Clinical specialists at UCSF Health note that while mild sound adjustment is expected during the first two weeks, physical pain should never be ignored and warrants a quick adjustment visit with your audiologist.

Why Follow-Up Appointments Matter

Your initial fitting is just step one. Follow-up appointments allow your audiologist to:

• Review your daily wearing hours saved in the device memory.
• Fine-tune frequency gain based on your hearing journal notes.
• Modify earmolds or dome sizes for maximum physical comfort.
• Run real-ear measurement verification to confirm target sound levels inside your canal.

First-Time Hearing Aid User Checklist

Use this simple, scannable checklist every morning as you get used to your new routine:

• Identify your left (blue) and right (red) devices.
• Make sure your devices are fully charged or have fresh batteries.
• Ensure the silicone dome or earmold sits securely without causing pain.
• Know how to turn your hearing aids on and off confidently.
• Check that sound from both ears is clear and balanced, without persistent whistling.
• Know how to increase or decrease the volume using the buttons or smartphone app.
• Know how to switch to the “Speech in Noise” program in busy environments.
• Pair your hearing aids with your smartphone for compatible call streaming.
• Clean your devices with a dry cloth and store them safely every night.
• Keep your follow-up fine-tuning appointment on your calendar.

When Should You Ask a Hearing Professional for Help?

Self-adjusting user controls are great for day-to-day tweaks, but professional care remains essential for long-term success. Contact your audiologist if:

• You cannot get the earpiece to sit comfortably without physical sore spots.
• People around you still sound muffled or under-amplified despite raising the volume.
• You experience frequent whistling whenever you smile, chew, or pull on a sweater.
• Your smartphone app frequently disconnects or fails to control your devices.
• You feel overwhelmed by complex noise environments and need tailored program presets added.

Conclusion

Using hearing aids does not have to feel complicated. Once you know how to insert them correctly, turn them on, adjust the volume, use the right listening settings, and care for them daily, they can quickly become a natural part of your routine. Give your ears and brain some time to adjust, especially when everyday sounds seem louder or different at first.

The key is simple: wear them consistently, make small adjustments, and ask for professional help when something does not feel right. With the right fit, settings, and a little practice, learning how to use hearing aids can take you from “Am I doing this right?” to hearing conversations with greater ease and confidence.