What Will Happen During Your Hearing Aid Fitting?

There are many things to look forward to when it comes to getting fitted for hearing aids. Hearing is one of the most important senses, and with hearing loss, life can become challenging because you’ll miss out on conversations or not be able to hear warning signals. However, getting fitted for hearing aids will help you get your sense of independence back, and it’s a quick process once you know what to expect.

Earmold Impressions

Earmold impressions are a crucial part of the hearing aid fitting process. This step is where your audiologist will make an impression of your ear canal so that they can create custom-made earpieces for you.

Ear Measurement Tests

The hearing aid fitting process begins with an ear measurement test. During this phase, a technician will measure your ear’s concha to determine which type and size of hearing device is necessary for you. This test may take about fifteen minutes. The technician will then try out various devices and find the one that best suits your needs. If none of the devices work for you, they may have to create a custom-made hearing aid.

Fitting

One of the most common questions people ask is what exactly happens during a hearing aid fitting. The first step in this process is typically an audiogram, which measures your hearing loss with tests like speech reception threshold levels and word recognition scores. During the test, you will be fitted for two different hearing aids at one time to see how they may or may not work, and the person fitting will determine which one is best for you.

Hearing Aid Programming and Adjustments

Hearing aid adjustments help the hearing device fit with your ear better and adjust for different sounds. Programming may also be necessary to make certain noises louder or quieter, such as speech vs. background noise. Hearing aids require some basic understanding of how they work and what settings you want on them to achieve a good fit. Programming and adjustments will be different for every wearer. Still, there are a few things you can expect when visiting your hearing care professional about programming. Your audiologist will ask you to try out the devices with various programs on them so that they know what settings work best for listening to speech in a noisy environment. This will allow you to find the best program for your needs and adjust accordingly.

Instructions on Use

The most important thing to do when getting your hearing aids is to know how they work. You and the audiologist will go through a short tutorial on using the different features of your new devices, but it never hurts to brush up before coming in for an appointment. It’s crucial for everyone who experiences hearing loss and their families, friends, and caregivers to know more about the hearing aid process to make it as comfortable as possible. A day-long appointment will include tests, discussions with audiologists and family members, as well as a hearing aid fitting. Hearing aids are valuable investments, so you want to ensure they’re the right choice for your needs first.