What Happens During A Hearing Aid Fitting?

You might have already had a hearing aid evaluation appointment. This is the time when you will discuss with the audiologist the type of hearing aids that you can get and the listening environments that you may need them for. At this point, your audiologist will make an evaluation of the type of hearing aids you need, and you can make your order. A little more than two weeks later, you will return for your hearing aid fitting.

What should you expect at this appointment?

Real ear measures

The first thing to expect is real ear measures. This procedure will allow an audiologist to ensure that the device is working as it should be and as expected. Basically, they will be checking how loud noises are in your ear canal. To do this, a small tube will be placed through your ear. This tube is linked to a mic, and this will measure the volume of noise without the hearing aid in use.

After that, the hearing aid will be placed correctly, and the test will be repeated again. This time though the hearing aid will be turned on to find out how it is helping your hearing. Essentially, it’s a test to see whether the hearing aid is working effectively by amplifying noise.

Keep in mind that at this point, different volumes of noise will be played. This is to ensure that the hearing aid is able to adjust the sound accordingly, always keeping it within your comfort level, while elevating quieter noises. Essentially, the audiologist will make sure the hearing aid is giving you the most natural listening experience possible and providing you with the best quality of life.

These real ear measures can be used to select the right program for your hearing aids based on your needs. However, this can be adjusted based on your own experience.

Showing you how to use the hearing aids

The second part of the hearing aid fitting is all about making sure that you know how to use your hearing aids yourself. If there are any technical features such as Bluetooth technology, your audiologist will show you how to access the software and use it in real situations. You will also be shown how to fit the hearing aid properly in your ear to ensure it is completely effective.

As well as this, you will be shown how to care for and maintain your hearing aids. This will include replacing the batteries. Make sure you are shown how to remove and replace the batteries before you leave the appointment because this will obviously be crucial for using them.

The whole hearing aid fitting will take roughly one hour, and you should feel free to ask any questions that you may have about the operations or maintenance of your hearing aids. Your audiologist will provide you with any information that you could need before letting you leave. This might include troubleshooting issues with your hearing aid so that you don’t have to constantly make follow up appointments.