Your First Hearing Aid Fitting: What To Expect

While hearing aids are unable to restore your hearing to normal, they go a long way to improve your hearing, which ultimately improves your quality of life. When you can hear properly, you'll feel more confident in your daily interactions and safer in your environment, and it will improve your overall well-being. Once your audiologist determines that you're a candidate for hearings aids and you choose the one that is right for you, your audiologist will schedule you for a hearing aid fitting. Here's what to expect. 

Prepare Questions

Plan for the fitting to take about an hour. Your audiologist will address any questions or concerns, so it's a good idea to have a short list of questions ready. It's common to forget the questions you planned to ask once you get to the appointment, so write them down. Your audiologist will provide you with an information packet with all of the important information that you need to know, but you may have additional questions.

Hearing Test

Your hearing aid will be customized to your hearing, and since everyone hears differently, your audiologist will conduct a test to determine how to properly adjust your hearing aid. The most common test is called a probe microphone measure. This test will ensure that your hearing aid is calibrated properly by measuring the sound as it enters the hearing aid. Your level of hearing loss will play a role in how the hearing aid is adjusted. The audiologist will also make sure that the hearing aid fits comfortably in your ears to maximize the hearing benefits. Many people only need one fitting, but if you find that you're having issues once you leave the office, you can schedule another fitting to iron out the kinks. 

Learning How to Use Your Hearing Aid

Your audiologist will provide an orientation where you will learn how to use your new hearing aid and be introduced to the features your hearing aid offers. Using your hearing aid properly plays a major role in you getting the most out of the device. Many hearing aids offer advanced features that you can use in different hearing environments, so make sure to pay attention during the orientation session. The audiologist will also show you how to clean and maintain your hearing aid for optimal performance. Some hearing aids are more prone to dirt or damage so you'll want to learn how to maintain your hearing aid to extend its life and prevent damage.