What Happens During A Hearing Aid Fitting?

There are multiple aims of a hearing aid fitting. An effective appointment will involve your audiologist determining the best hearing aid for you and ensuring that you get the best out of that device. If you’re preparing for a hearing aid fitting, here’s what to expect.

Testing your hearing

In order to identify the best hearing aid options for you, your audiologist will conduct hearing tests to see how well you respond to different sounds, pitches and levels of noise. The information gathered from the tests will help your audiologist to select hearing aids that will be appropriate for you. There is no one-size-fits-all device, and it’s best to adopt a tailored approach, which caters to your individual needs.

Discussing your options

When you have completed your hearing tests, your audiologist will discuss the options with you and answer any questions you have about different types of hearing aid. At this stage, you may have queries about the size or style of hearing aids or the cost of treatment, and your audiologist can give you all the information you need to make a decision about which hearing aid to go for. Once you’ve chosen your hearing aid, a mold will be created if necessary, and an appointment for a follow-up hearing aid fitting will be scheduled. At this stage of the process, it’s incredibly beneficial to ask any questions you have. Even if you think they’re silly, ask away anyway! Your audiologist is there to help, and it’s really important that you have the information you need to make a well-rounded decision. It’s highly likely that any questions you do have will have been asked before, so don’t be shy or embarrassed.

Learning to use your hearing aid

Once you’ve selected a hearing aid, your audiologist will show you how to use it, how to change the settings and adjust the volume, how to clean it and how to insert and remove it correctly. Your audiologist will also conduct some tests to set the hearing aid at the right level and ensure that you are comfortable with the level of sound. When you’re undergoing these basic tests, it’s essential to be honest and communicate with your audiologist. It is possible to adjust hearing aids and tailor them to the individual, so don’t hesitate to speak out if you can’t hear as well as you hoped or the sound appears muffled. It is common to find the experience a little strange to begin with, and you’ll need to adapt to your hearing aid. It can also take time for your brain to get used to a hearing aid, so you may find that noises, such as the sound of your own voice, appear different.

If you have any questions or problems after your hearing aid fitting, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your audiologist. It’s common to take a few days or even weeks to get fully used to a new hearing aid, but you should find that it makes a really positive difference.