Do You Need to Have a Hearing Aid Fitting?

If you’re experiencing hearing loss, then the most likely course of treatment recommended by an audiologist is wearing a hearing aid. Hearing aids can have a tremendous impact on your quality of life, and your audiologist can guide you through every step of the way to making sure you have the best experience of them, from choosing the device that best suits your needs to making sure it’s working properly.

However, how vital is an audiologist’s help when you first put your hearing aid on? Here, we’re going to look at why a hearing aid fitting can be quite necessary. Keep in mind that this appointment can take anywhere between 45 minutes to two hours, so you should ensure to allow for enough time.

The Fitting Itself

Of course, one of the most important parts of the appointment is actually fitting the hearing aids. While it’s not all that your audiologist will do, it’s important for them to make sure that your hearing aids fit properly, that they’re comfortable, without any irritation in the ear or risk of them falling out when you’re trying to wear them.

Your audiologist will also show you how to put them in and take them out, as people who are new to hearing aids can find the process a little strange and new at first. If your hearing aids don’t fit, then your audiologist can help by ordering new ones for you or, in some cases, making custom molds from your ear to make sure they fit perfectly.

Making Adjustments

Making sure that the device works properly in terms of amplifying sounds is important. Using the results of your hearing test, your audiologist will configure the hearing aid to ensure that your hearing aids are amplifying noise at different frequencies to work with your hearing loss levels as well as your sound preferences.

They’re likely to make more specific configurations based on lifestyle factors, such as your home environment, where you work and any hobbies you might enjoy. Your audiologist can program your device using specialist software to create different profiles for you to switch between, depending on where you wear them.

Take the Opportunity to Learn About Your Hearing Aids

Your audiologist is your personal expert on all things related to your hearing health, including your hearing aids. To that end, there’s a lot they can tell you about how to use and live with your new devices. This can include instructions on the best ways to maintain and clean your hearing aid, how to use its different features and to program it, if necessary, as well as signs that you should bring it back to them for configurations or for repairs.

Your audiologist will likely have advice on how you should be wearing them. It can take time to get used to your hearing aids, so most people don’t wear them all day, to begin with. Your audiologist can help you come up with a plan on how much to wear your hearing aids each day as you acclimate to them.