Hearing aid tips for first-time users

There are Phonak hearing aids that can help support any degree of hearing loss. Read more on what steps can be taken.

The best available hearing aid models

A world of discrete, personalized comfort

• It is important that you share your hearing needs and goals with your hearing care professional. This information will help them recommend a hearing aid that suits both your degree of hearing loss and lifestyle goals. The best hearing aids should help you to: 
• Communicate easily and comfortably, wherever you might be, is the key to being yourself. Phonak hearing innovations are the result of in-depth consumer understanding -- insights gained by listening to hearing aid wearers and hearing care professionals around the world.
• Focus on speech understanding, while providing comfort and ease-of-use as well as tailored to give you the listening experience you desire.
• Move seamlessly from one listening situation to another, be it at home, in the office, on the sports field or in social settings
• Stay connected throughout your day. Your hearing aids need to have the ability to send speech signals from one hearing aid to the other, so you hear phone calls and speech in loud noise with both ears.

Choosing hearing aids by style.

The Basics.

Hearing is a complex process. It starts at the ear drum, where sound is first received, then travels through the skull, and finally finishes inside the brain.

All hearing follows this path, and all hearing aids work alongside this process. What differs among available models is where the hearing aid’s parts are designed to fit, and how they work together. When choosing hearing aids, this is an important place to begin.

Behind-the-Ear (BTE)

This style is designed for durability and power. Since the receiver is built into the hearing aid, it is not exposed. This makes BTE hearing aids robust and sturdy. They are carefully sculpted, to sit comfortably behind the ear.

Phonak industry-leading BTE hearing aids include Bolero Marvel and Naída Marvel. Click on either link to find out more about the individual models.

Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC)

This style of hearing aid also sits comfortably behind the ear, but it is more discreet, because the receiver is not built into the hearing aid – it sits in the ear. This enables RIC hearing aids to be built even smaller.

Phonak RIC model includes Audéo Paradise. Click on the link for more.

In-The-Ear (ITE)

Phonak also designs hearing aids which are crafted to individual specifications, like the Virto Marvel. These provide both maximum discretion and ideal comfort. They fit perfectly inside your ear canal.

Extended wear

Extended wear hearing aids are completely invisible, and designed to be worn around the clock for months at a time. Check out Phonak Lyric.

Phonak hearing aids

All Phonak hearing devices deliver crisp natural sound, brilliant speech understanding, boosted soft-level speech, distance enhancement and personalized noise cancelling.

Click here to view the full line of Phonak hearing aids, including the Virto M-Titanium, Virto B-Titanium, CROS B-R, Audéo B.

Using hearing aids to enrich your life.

Solutions for participating fully

If you or a loved one is new to wearing hearing aids, first congratulations to making the decision to be reconnected to the beauty of sound! There are 27.4 million people in the U.S. who have mild to moderate hearing loss, and 73 percent of adults who could benefit from hearing support don’t take action. So, making the decision to get hearing amplification is important. Not just for hearing well but for your overall well-being.

Whenever you learn something new, or use something new, there is a period of acclimitization. Hearing devices are no different. Here are a few tips on what to expect as you adjust to hearing better:

1. Give it time. Because hearing loss is usually a gradual process, your brain needs time to readjust to interpreting those sounds you haven’t heard in some time. That means some sounds may seem unusually loud, like a clock ticking or your turn signal clicking.
2. Volume of your voice. The first thing most people notice is the volume of their own voice. After being fit, you will certainly begin speaking differently. You will also begin speaking more, and with more confidence and authority. To help you better regulate your voice, read out loud to a friend or loved one. They can help you adjust your voice volume.
3. Watch TV with captions. Watching the nightly news or your favorite show with captions helps you retrain your brain to connect sounds and language.
4. Read your hearing aid user guide. It is full of helpful information on how to keep your hearing devices clean as well as tips and tricks.
5. Attend follow-up visits. Your hearing care provider is your partner on your hearing journey. Report to them any difficulties you might be experiencing. Also, bring a friend or a family member to the appointment as they can also share what you have been experiencing.

As you adjust to your new hearing devices, you’ll begin to rediscover a whole new listening world.

Go further, hear more & get better connected

The best hearing aids and hearing devices await.

Take the first step

The simplest way to begin is with an online hearing test. Phonak online hearing test is here.