If you’ve been advised to start wearing hearing aids to improve your hearing, you’ll be invited to a hearing aid fitting. This is an appointment, which is designed to help you become accustomed to your new hearing aids and to ensure that you understand how to get the best out of these innovative devices. If you’ve got a fitting with a hearing specialist coming up, here are 3 reasons why this appointment is so important.

1. Ensuring a perfect fit

If your hearing aids don’t fit properly, they won’t function as well as expected, and they may also be uncomfortable. If you’re not comfortable when you wear your hearing aids, you may be less inclined to use them. A hearing aid fitting enables a hearing care provider to check the fit of your hearing aids and make sure that you’re completely happy and comfortable, which will increase the chances of you using them on a regular basis. Wearing hearing aids can take a little getting used to, but they shouldn’t be painful. If you’re not content, make sure you tell the hearing health professional during the fitting. It’s often possible to make adjustments and modifications to improve the fit and prevent discomfort.

2. Modifying your hearing aids

Every person is different, and your hearing aid should fit in with your lifestyle and cater for your needs. A hearing aid fitting is essential for modifying and adapting the hearing aid to suit the individual. It is possible to change the power level, the volume and the program to cater for the individual, and provide flexibility in cases where an individual encounters different situations or environments on a regular basis, for example, an office worker who commutes via train but spends a lot of time in small group meetings.

3. Providing advice and useful information

If you’ve never had hearing aids before, you’re about to embark on a brand new experience, which is likely to be both exhilarating and daunting. A hearing aid fitting is not just a session designed to ensure that the hearing aids fit and perform well. It’s also a consultation that gives people a chance to ask questions, learn more about hearing aids and receive advice about using hearing aids, looking after them and changing the settings. If you’ve got questions or concerns, you’d like to find out more about how to use your hearing aids, or you’d like advice to help you adjust to life with hearing aids, the hearing aid fitting is an invaluable session. Don’t be afraid to come in armed with a list of questions or to raise concerns if you can’t hear as clearly as you hoped or your hearing aids don’t fit as snugly as anticipated. It’s important to make the most of your fitting, so that you leave with a smile on your face.  

If you’re due to have your hearing aids fitted, you’re probably looking forward to your next appointment with a hearing health professional. A hearing aid fitting isn’t just a means of checking the fit of a hearing aid. It’s a really beneficial session that will set you up for a brand new life with much better hearing.