New sounds or long lost sounds
Adjusting to amplification is a process that takes time. Everyone's hearing decreases gradually as they get older, and we are often unaware that we have lost the ability to hear certain sounds that we have taken for granted in the past. Hearing your footsteps on a hard floor or the refrigerator humming, for instance, are typical examples of everyday sounds that you might have forgotten.

When you first begin wearing new hearing aids, your brain is stimulated by so many 'new' sounds, that the adjustment period is likely to be tiring. It will take some time to get reacquainted with these sounds and learn to 'tune out' the sounds that are not important.

During your adjustment period there are a number of things you can do to make life easier. These include trying to reduce unnecessary sources of noise (e.g. the TV or radio on in the background) and trying to avoid talking with someone in another room.

Hearing in noise
Even for people with normal hearing, hearing in noise is sometimes difficult. It is certainly one of the most difficult situations that a hearing aid user can encounter.

In some situations you tolerate the noise because you want to hear what people are saying. But in other situations where no speech is present, it can be tiring to have to listen to noisy environmental sounds.

To protect you from this unnecessary burden, and help you in situations where you need an extra boost, Adapto has a special feature called the VoiceFinder.

The VoiceFinder is a type of 'voice-activated volume control' that constantly monitors the sounds in your environment. Whenever it detects people talking, the VoiceFinder increases the volume and processes the signal digitally to ensure maximum speech understanding.

As soon as it detects that speech is no longer present the VoiceFinder automatically switches to a comfortable setting, to save you from unnecessary annoyance.

When fitting Adapto, your hearing care specialist can easily adjust the sound levels to match your listening requirements.

The feeling of wearing a hearing aid
Many people describe the feeling of wearing hearing aids as being rather similar to 'talking from inside a barrel'. These sensations are due to a side effect known as occlusion.

Occlusion is caused when hearing aids block the ear canal, trapping sounds inside. To get an idea of how this feels, try putting a finger into each ear while talking or eating.

If you slowly remove your fingers, the sounds will become more and more pleasant. You will also notice that as soon as your ear is unobstructed, the occlusion effect is eliminated.

Adapto effectively reduces occlusion. Its Open Ear Acoustics feature has been designed to allows larger vents (channels) in the hearing aid, which allows more unwanted sounds to escape. When you are less 'plugged up', hearing becomes a more natural, more enjoyable experience.

Our ear anatomy, and the way we perceive sound, differs from person to person. So it is important to discuss whatever symptoms you are experiencing with your hearing care professional. He or she will be able to recommend the best solution.

The sound of your own voice
Often, the first thing people notice with new hearing aids is the difference in the quality or loudness of their own voice. With Adapto instruments, however, this difference is not nearly as dramatic.

By allowing trapped sound to escape, Adapto's OpenEar Acoustics feature makes your voice sound far more natural and comfortable.  Although it might sound different compared to the way it used to sound with your previous hearing aids, other people will continue to hear you as you normally speak. You will gradually get used to the 'new' sound of your voice, as well as other voices.

If, after a week or so, your own voice continues to distract you, contact your hearing care professional. He or she can make the appropriate adjustments.

Feedback (whistling noise)
Feedback occurs when the amplified sound re-enters the hearing aid and is re-amplified. It will typically sound like a high-pitched whistling tone.

Feedback has traditionally been accepted as a fact of life with hearing aids. For instance, many instruments may whistle when you turn them on before inserting them into your ears. But if feedback occurs after your hearing aids are placed correctly in your ear, this would be considered unacceptable.

Adapto's Dynamic Feedback Cancellation system constantly monitors incoming sounds, and cancels feedback even before it is heard. Consequently, you can put on and take clothes off over your head, put a phone to your ear, or even hug another person - without having to worry about whistling.

The sensation of wind noise
When outdoors - for example, on a golf course or along a beach - you might be surprised by the sensation of wind in your hearing aids. This is natural, because the wind comes into contact with your microphone. Adapto hearing aids are designed to minimize wind noise as much as possible.