Now that you’ve had your hearing evaluated and selected your hearing aid style, it’s time for your hearing aid fitting appointment. This is an integral part of the process, and you’ll walk out of your appointment with your brand-new hearing aids.
It’s going to be a rather long appointment; a hearing aid fitting is a personalized, hands-on, information-heavy session, and you’ll need to be engaged for most of it. Expect to spend one to two hours at the appointment.
Step 1: Programming and Physical Fitting
Your audiologist will program your hearing aids using the audiogram data from your hearing test. Then you’ll try them on. Your provider will check the fit inside your ears and make physical adjustments to ensure they’re comfortable. Speak up if you notice pressure or discomfort; these issues won’t simply go away on their own with time.
Step 2: Real-Ear Measurement
Next is a real-ear measurement. Real-ear measurement confirms that your hearing aid settings provide sounds at the correct amplification for your hearing needs. A tiny microphone is gently placed in your ear canal, then your hearing aids on top of it. Test sounds will play through the aids into the microphone, and it will measure the amplification levels. Based on the results, your audiologist can adjust the settings accordingly. If you need specialized programs—for example, for listening to music or in noisy environments—you can request them now.
Step 3: Guidance and Education
This is where you learn how to use and maintain your new devices. Your audiologist will walk you through the following topics:
- How to insert and remove the hearing aids
- Charging or replacing batteries
- How to work the controls
- Cleaning and care
- Using features like Bluetooth® or telecoil
- Switching between listening programs or settings
It’s a lot of information, so consider bringing a notebook or using a note-taking app on your phone. Alternatively, a companion can also be helpful. It’s a great idea to bring a loved one to this appointment so they might help capture information.
Afterward and Follow-Up Appointment
After all that, you’re free to go! Enjoy wearing your new hearing aids. Two to four weeks later, a follow-up visit will help gauge how you’re adjusting. You and your audiologist can make any tweaks needed based on your experience.
We’re excited to be part of your journey with hearing aids. Contact us to schedule or ask questions!