4 Things To Know About A Hearing Aid Fitting

A hearing aid fitting is an important part of the process of getting your hearing aids from a hearing care professional. It is the first time you will receive your hearing aids and a chance for a hearing specialist to ensure that they are working effectively. There are a few things that you need to know about your hearing aid fitting to ensure that there are not any surprises on the day of your appointment.

You will cover a lot

You might think that you can pop in, get your hearing aids from your hearing health provider and leave again. You might even assume that the hearing aid fitting will be no longer than your typical appointment. But this is not the case. Instead, a hearing aid fitting will usually take at least one hour and may even last longer than that.

It is important to understand that there is a large amount of information that the hearing specialist needs to pass on to you. This will cover how your hearing aids work as well as how you should care for them effectively. They will ensure that you have all the information you need before you leave the appointment.

Your hearing aid will be tested

Don’t let the name fool you. The hearing aid fitting isn’t just about making sure that the devices fit in your ears, but also that they are working effectively. This includes something called real ear measurements. During this time, a tube will be inserted into your ear canal with a microphone attached to the end. The microphone will play noises at different volumes to check amplification. This process will be repeated with the hearing aid in place and can be slightly uncomfortable. However, it is necessary to ensure that your hearing health provider chooses the right program for a successful listening experience.

You will be able to ask questions

It is important to understand that a hearing aid fitting is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you may have about the device. This could include how they function, issues that you may have and practical questions such as how to change the batteries. A hearing specialist will realize that you need to know as much about your hearing aids as possible before you leave with them. As such, they should have no issues answering any and all of your questions. You might want to write a few questions down before you hearing aid fitting so that you remember to ask them.

There will be practical demonstrations

Hearing aids are quite complex, small devices and as such, demonstrations are often necessary to ensure that individuals know how to use them effectively. This will include manual demonstrations of how to remove and replace the batteries as well as how to clean the device. It is important that you are aware of how to clean the device because earwax building up will impact how effective they are at helping you hear.

Don’t be afraid to talk more with your hearing specialist about how to care for and maintain your hearing aids.