The fan might just need some TLC. to reduce the noise by a huge amount.
First, get yourself a non-contact voltage tester. These things are in the electrical tools area of Home Depot and Lowe's. They look like a big pen, and they light up and buzz when you touch a hot wire. Not just a bare hot wire, but one with the insulated covering on, one inside of a piece of Romex, a wire in any kind of extension cord, etc...... You can even stick the tip into the hot prong of an outlet to see if it's live. I stongly prefer the latest version built by Greenlee. It's (oddly enough) green in color, and has a push button on the top. It beeps and blinks periodically to tell you that it's still on, when in use. The thing costs less than $20 bucks and there is NO excuse for attempting any electrical work without one. I was a commercial/institutional electrical supervisor, in a past life, and it is now standard policy to see any decent electrician carrying a "tic-tracer" any time they are on the clock.
OK, back to the fan. Cut the power to the fan at the circuit breaker. Take the grille off. Remove the fan motor and blade assembly. This typically requires removing one 3/8" or 7/16" nut and unpluging a very short cord. Vacuum all the fuzz and scum off of everything. Use a strong cleaner to scrub everything shiny clean. Now comes the strange part. If the motor is still good, you need to lube the center shaft. This will reduce the noise by 70-80% and the best lube to do the job is......... automatic transmission fluid. Now I always have some on hand, but you only need a few drops. Fortunately, for most of us, there are a few drops hanging on the end of your auto trans. dipstick. So gather a few drops and wet the end of the fan shaft. Position the fan so that the lube gravity flows deep into the motor and let it sit for a few hours. Reassemble your nice clean, well lubed fan and enjoy the sweet sounds of a well maintained fan. If you fail at this mission, fear not. Take the brand and model #s off the unit, head to your local electrical supplier and order a replacement fan motor. The motor can be a bit tricky to change. Typically you remove the old one from it's bracket by removing two nuts. You then need to wrestle the fan blade off the old motor and tap it on to the new motor shaft. nothing too technical, but it may take a bit of force. Good luck. I've done this many times and it's far easier than it sounds.
If you want more answers to your question about rearranging the switches, please post a pic. of the wiring inside the fan junction box, and the switch box. This would involve pulling both switches out of the wall and taking a picture of what is going on behind them. Remember, with the breaker off and by double checking all wiring with the new non-contact voltage tester that Mr. hat encouraged you to buy, this is as safe as working on a loaf of bread.