When first using your Eargo devices, many everyday sounds—running water, ringing telephones, background noise, that grackle that won’t leave the tree in the front yard—can be louder than you’re used to. Give yourself a week or two to adjust to processing all this information. It’s pretty awesome to be hearing so sharply, but it can take a little time to get accustomed to. That’s normal.

Sound is leaking out of the ear canal, going back into the hearing device and being amplified again. This commonly occurs when you insert or remove the device. Once you get the hearing aid inserted and move your hand away from your ear, Eargo’s feedback canceller will calibrate and the whistling should stop in a few seconds.

If whistling persists, try gently pushing it in a bit more or pulling on the removal thread to slightly pull it out. If it is in the proper position, try a different tip that holds more sound in, and therefore, less whistling will occur.

A buildup of wax in the ear canal can reflect the sound back out of the canal more easily or keep the device from being seated properly, resulting in feedback whistling or no hearing aid sound at all. Consider having your ears cleaned as outlined here.

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“Autophony” is a fancy term for the abnormal sound of one's own voice. To understand why this happens, check out this blog to better understand autophony and the occlusion effect.

Try repositioning the device, different size or style tips, and/or different programs.

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If your hearing loss is different between ears, then you simply set each hearing aid on a program that's right for each ear. The goal is to hear balanced between both ears. If you have Eargo 5, 6 or 7 we recommend performing Sound Match to tailor Eargo to your hearing needs and preferences.

Still not sure you want to wear two? Helping both ears hear their best helps the brain, localizing where sounds come from, and understanding in noisy environments. You can read more about it in this Article: Do I Need 1 or 2 Hearing Aids?

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When we miss soft high-pitched sounds, we also miss the clarity of speech. Examples of high-frequency speech sounds are the letters s, sh, t, f, and p that tend to fall at the beginnings and ends of words.

Try a sharper program setting to see which one gives you the greatest clarity. Play around with the programs. Remember, you can select different programs for each ear. If you have Eargo 5, 6, or 7 we recommend performing Sound Match to tailor Eargo to your hearing needs and preferences.

Check out these Communication Tips.

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When first using hearing aids, many everyday sounds, even soft sounds, may suddenly seem very loud. Things like water running, bags of chips crinkling, paper crumpling, babies crying, using the restroom, traffic… Your brain needs a little time to get used to hearing these high-frequency sounds again. It probably hasn’t heard them for a long time. Give it a little while. Your first weeks with your Eargo devices will be a time of adjustment. These sounds will begin to fade into the background as your brain relearns which are important and which can be ignored.

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Yes, you will hear things amplified with a hearing aid but this does not mean they are an “amplifier.” Eargos are hearing aids: Exempt medical devices registered with the FDA and are subject to FDA regulations on standards for performance, manufacturing, labeling and safety.

Hearing aids amplify sounds at specific frequencies to compensate for hearing loss. The amplification is dependent on how loud the sound is and uses algorithms to decide how much output to deliver to your ear. Hearing aids amplify soft sounds more and loud sounds less. They reduce background noise, preserve speech and can cancel whistling or feedback.

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Within the first couple of weeks of acclimating to your Eargo devices – and to sounds you may not have heard for a while – your ability to understand speech should start to improve. After the first few weeks, many people find that it’s easier to hold a conversation in noisy environments.

Here are some helpful Listening Strategies you can use to get the most of your Eargos in those tricky listening environments.

Have an mobile app compatible Eargo model? Try using the Restaurant program when listening to conversation in noise.

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Many people note that they can watch TV at a much lower volume after they start wearing their Eargo devices. Usually, the same volume that’s comfortable for their spouse or family members. One of the many ways Eargo devices benefit the people who AREN’T wearing them, too.

If you find you still want the TV louder than your family does, you can change your Eargos to a program that amplifies better for understanding the TV temporarily while watching TV. If you have a mobile app compatible device, you can add a “TV” program into one of your 4 program spots to use when watching TV.

Hearing devices work best when the sound source is less than 10 feet away; different channels and streaming providers often vary in loudness. You can also try your TV's various sound settings to find the best speech clarity. Then, adjust Eargo accordingly.

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When possible, the speaker phone option is always best for understanding conversations over the phone so both ears can listen.

Are you getting whistling when you put the phone to your ear? Sound is leaking out of the ear canal, being bounced off the phone back into the hearing device and being amplified again. Create some space between your hearing aid and the phone. Tilt the phone at an angle or move it away from your ear a bit.

Use the Preset that came in the Program 1 spot when you received your hearing aids. If you have a mobile app compatible device and replaced that program with something else, use your app to put "Preset A" or "Phone" program back in one of your 4 program spots to use when the phone is up to your ear.

If the whistling persists, the Eargo is likely pushed in too far or not in far enough. Try different size of style tips. Then, try the suggestions above again.

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It takes up to 6 hours to charge a fully depleted hearing aid, so we recommend charging them each night while you sleep. You’ll have up to 16 hours of hearing aid power for the day! Our rechargeable hearing aid batteries are designed for up to two years of regular charging (once a day). After that, they’ll continue to work, but may not hold a charge for quite as long.

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Tinnitus is often described as a ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears. We don’t know the exact cause of tinnitus, but there is a high correlation between tinnitus and hearing loss. Although a hearing aid doesn’t mask the tinnitus, it may help you focus on what you want to hear.

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Try using an over-the-counter ear wax removal system* (consult your local pharmacist). You may have to repeat this a few nights in a row.

You may also consider a visit to your local minute-clinic, primary care physician, or an ENT to have your ear canals cleaned professionally.*

Stay on a regimen. Some people need a cleaning every 6 months, while others need to do it every 2 weeks.

*Any time your ear canals have been completely soaked (using an Over-the-Counter ear canal rinse to remove wax or having your ears rinsed out at your doctor's office), please wait several hours before you reinsert your Eargo devices. Not only do you want to avoid exposing your Eargo devices to the moisture, but moisture trapped in the ear canals can lead to an outer ear canal infection. Always allow your ear canals time for air to circulate and to completely dry out before using anything in your ears like hearing aids, headphones, or earbuds.

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Although it’s not always necessary to see your doctor when you’re experiencing a hearing loss, there are some instances when you absolutely should. If you experience a sudden hearing loss, pain, balance issues, ear pressure, drainage or other medical symptoms related to your ears, we recommend you visit your doctor.

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