FAQs for first-time hearing aid wearers

If you're new to hearing aids, you likely have lots of questions — this FAQ page is here to help you feel confident and informed as you begin your hearing journey.

To find out what type and degree of hearing loss you have, you should:

 

1. Schedule a hearing test with a licensed audiologist or hearing specialist.
(Some ENT doctors also perform hearing tests.)

 

2. Take a comprehensive hearing evaluation, which usually includes:

  • Pure-tone testing: You listen to beeps or tones at different pitches and volumes to measure how soft a sound you can hear.
  • Speech testing: Measures how well you hear and understand words.
  • Tympanometry: Tests how well your eardrum moves, checking for fluid, infections, or eardrum issues.
  • Bone conduction testing: Determines whether your hearing loss is caused by problems in the outer/middle ear (conductive loss) or inner ear (sensorineural loss).

3. Review your audiogram:

An audiogram is the chart that shows your results. It will tell you:

  • Degree of hearing loss (mild, moderate, severe, profound)
  • Type of hearing loss (conductive, sensorineural, or mixed)

Signia offers several hearing aid form factors. Each form factor is designed for different needs, preferences, and degrees of hearing loss. It is best to work with a hearing care professional to find out which form factors can meet the needs of the hearing prescription. Here is a general overview:

 

1. Behind-the-Ear (BTE)

  • Sits behind the ear with a tube that connects to an eartip or earmold inside the ear.
  • Good for all levels of hearing loss, from mild to profound.

2. Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) / Receiver-in-the-Ear (RITE)

  • Similar to BTE, but the speaker (receiver) sits inside the ear canal, connected by a thin wire.
  • Usually smaller and more discreet than a BTE hearing aid.
  • For mild to severe hearing loss.

3. Instant-fit / ready-to-wear

  • Worn in the ear, without custom molding or fitting.
  • Use soft, flexible sleeves that fit a wide range of ear shapes and sizes.
  • For  mild to moderate hearing loss.

 

4. Custom

The hearing care professional will make a mold (impression) of the outer ear and send it to Signia. Signia will then manufacture a hearing aid shaped exactly like the mold so that the physical fit is customized to your ears. The custom hearing aid can be made into 4 different form factors:

4.1 In-the-Ear (ITE) 

  • Fills the outer ear completely.
  • Easier to insert and has room for larger batteries and features like volume control.
  • For mild to severe hearing loss.

4.2 In-the-Canal (ITC)

  • Sits partly in the ear canal, smaller than ITE.
  • More discreet but still easy to adjust.
  • For mild to moderate hearing loss.

4.3 Completely-in-Canal (CIC)

  • Fits deep inside the ear canal.
  • Very discreet, almost invisible.
  • For mild to moderate hearing loss.

4.4. Invisible-in-Canal (IIC)

  • Deepest fit - completely hidden inside the ear canal.
  • Designed for cosmetic invisibility.
  • For mild to moderate hearing loss.

The price of hearing aids depends on many factors such as the business model of the hearing care professional, types of services included with the purchase, insurance, performance level/feature set of the hearing aids, hearing aid form factor, etc. It is always best to speak with the hearing care professional to find out the breakdown of costs. 

If you need help finding a hearing care professional in your area, please use the link below:

Find a hearing care professional

Yes, most hearing care professionals offer a trial period for new hearing aids. 

 

If you're not satisfied during the trial, you can return the hearing aids.

It is common practice that during the trial period, the hearing care professional will adjust the hearing aids during follow-up appointments based on your feedback. Adjustments can be made to the programming of the hearing aids as well as the physical fit. Therefore, it is important to wear and use the hearing aids every day so that you can identify what you like and don't like. Sometimes, the best solution involves changing form factors altogether.

 

Important: Make sure to ask the hearing care professional in advance about the trial period details, including length of the trial, any requirements to remain eligible for the trial, any fees for returns, and services offered during (e.g. schedule of follow-up appointments). 

Yes, follow-up appointments are very important after the initial fitting appointment.

  • Your brain needs time to adjust to hearing new sounds again, and you may notice things you want changed (e.g. too much background noise or certain sounds being too sharp or dull).
  • The audiologist can fine-tune the settings based on your real-world experiences. For example, if you find yourself making frequent adjustments to the hearing aids either on the hearing aids themselves or through the Signia app, it is very helpful to relay what changes you are making to the hearing care professional. Based on your feedback, they will adjust the programming of the hearing aids. This will result in less time and effort on your end making changes and more time spent enjoying wonderful sound.
  • They can also adjust the physical fit of the hearing aids so you feel comfortable wearing them for a whole day.
  • It's common for hearing loss to change over time so the programming of the hearing aids should be adjusted accordingly.

Typically, you'll have at least one or two follow-up visits within the first few weeks after the initial fitting — and regular check-ins (every 6–12 months) after that. Check with your hearing care professional for the schedule of appointments and services included in your purchase.

When fit with new hearing aids, it will take time to get used to how they feel and sound. Here are some healthy day-to-day practices to consider during this period:

 

Week 1: Getting used to the sound

  • Start with 1–2 hours per day in a quiet environment.
  • Focus on familiar sounds (your voice, household noises, conversations with family).
  • Gradually increase wear time by an hour or two each day.
  • Expect some discomfort or unusual sounds—your brain is adjusting.

Week 2: Introducing noisy environments

  • Wear your hearing aids for 4–6 hours per day in different environments.
  • Try them outside, in stores, or in conversations with multiple people.
  • Start noticing which sounds are too loud or too soft—your audiologist can fine-tune the hearing aids to address these.

Week 3-4: Full-day use

  • Aim to wear your hearing aids all day (8–12 hours), except when sleeping or showering.
  • Try them in more complex listening situations (restaurants, public places, phone calls).
  • If anything feels off, schedule a follow-up with your audiologist.

Long-term use

  • Wear them daily to maximize benefits—your brain needs consistent stimulation.
  • Keep them clean and store them in a dry place when not in use.
  • Schedule regular check-ups to adjust settings as needed and to make sure any changes to your hearing prescription are accounted for in the programming of your hearing aids.
It is a common perception that your own voice sounds unnatural when wearing new hearing aids. To address this, certain Signia hearing aids have a feature called Own Voice Processing. This sound processing algorithm will activate seamlessly when you speak, ensuring your own voice sounds natural without affecting the sound processing of other voices or the sounds around you. If you still feel like your voice sounds unnatural, bring your hearing aids to your hearing care professional for additional fine-tuning.

A common misconception is that hearing aids should work like noise cancelling headphones. However, healthy auditory engagement with the world around you involves speech understanding with conversation partners while preserving the other acoustic details in the environment. Signia hearing aids are equipped with advanced sound processing algorithms to enhance speech understanding while maintaining an appropriate level of background sounds so that you never lose the overall acoustic picture.

 

Some of Signia's latest IX hearing aids have a feature called RealTime Conversation Enhancement. It uses a revolutionary, three-stage process to analyze, augment, and adapt to the conversation, tracking multiple moving speakers in real-time conversation, so you can stay involved even in noisy environments. You will never miss a beat, even if you are not directly facing the person speaking or turning your head to engage with others. With IX hearing aids, you can enjoy natural and effortless conversations wherever you go.

Yes, Signia offers hearing aids that cover the spectrum of Bluetooth protocols. There are models that are compatible with Android's Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol and Apple's MFi (Made For iPhone) protocol. Additionally, there are a subset of models that cover those two protocols in addition to being compatible with the newly introduced Low Energy Audio (LE Audio) protocol. Lastly, Signia has models that are compatible with the Bluetooth Classic protocol. Depending on your usage habits and the devices you interact with on a daily basis, certain models and their associated compatibility may bring more benefit than others. We recommend discussing this with your hearing care professional so the best hearing aid can be fit to your lifestyle. 
Yes. Most of our modern hearing aids have IP68 rating. This means that the hearing aids are dust-proof (safe to wear in dusty environments like workshops, outdoors, or during construction work) and water-resistant (can handle accidental drops in water, heavy sweat, rain, or even brief submersion—though not meant for swimming or bathing regularly).

The typical lifespan of a hearing aid is about 3 to 7 years. But the exact lifespan depends on factors like:

  • Maintenance habits (regular cleaning and storage habits)
  • Your environment (high humidity, sweat, or dust can shorten the lifespan)
  • Changes in your hearing needs (the hearing aid may no longer meet the hearing prescription and/or lifestyle)

Hearing aids need to be cleaned and checked on a regular basis.

  • Wipe down the devices with a dry, soft cloth and check for ear wax buildup on microphone, domes/sleeves, and charging contacts (if applicable) daily, at the end of the day. It helps to store hearing aids in a dry environment overnight to prevent moisture damage.
  • Replace wax guards regularly. The frequency of wax guard replacements is patient dependent. Consult with your hearing care professional for a more detailed replacement schedule.
  • Visit your hearing care professional every 6 months for a deep cleaning, hearing aid performance check, and a consultation for any changes to your hearing prescription.
  • Check out the information on the Support/Maintenance page for details on how to clean the hearing aids.
    Additionally, you can find your specific hearing aid model on the Support/Hearing aids page for videos demonstrating common handling practices.

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More about hearing loss and hearing test

Understanding hearing loss

Common hearing loss causes include aging, loud noise exposure, and certain medical conditions.

How a hearing test works

There are several possible parts to a hearing test which may be used depending on your specific symptoms - the two most common are the pure-tone test and speech testing.

The health risks of untreated hearing loss

If hearing loss is left untreated, it can increase the risk of other health issues.
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