What happens at a hearing aid fitting?
To ensure the success of your hearing aid fitting, first things must happen first. Prior to your fitting appointment, ensure you have:
- An accurate hearing test (an inaccurate test, for example one conducted in a noisy place, will lead to inaccurate hearing aid prescriptions).
- A diagnostic hearing test (the prescription for your hearing aids will change, depending on where your hearing loss is located).
- Decided you are ready to trial hearing aids.
- Set out goals for listening and communication, and developed realistic expectations for what the hearing aid you've chosen can and cannot do for you. This should be done with your audiologist.
At your hearing aid fitting appointment, the following steps will be taken. We will explain everything to you as it is happening, if you are interested.
Step 1
First and foremost, your audiologist will show you the hearing aid and explain each part of the device. She will then check that the hearing aid feels comfortable on, or in, your ear. This is a basic, but incredibly important, component of long-term success. When you first start out with hearing aids, you might find that your ear gets a little bit itchy for the first week or so. This is normal, and will go away for most people over time.
Step 2
The hearing aid must be a good fit for you. If the hearing aid is too loose in your ear, it may start to whistle on you. If the wire or tube is too long, it might fall off your ear. If it is too short, it can cause pain.
Step 3
A feedback test must be run. If a feedback test is not run on your hearing aid, there is a chance that the aid will whistle on you. Whistling is completely avoidable with modern, properly-fitted hearing aids. If your hearing aid whistles, come and speak to us; we can usually fix the issue for you.
Step 4
“Objective verification”: This step is crucial in ensuring success of your fitting. It is the way in which an audiologist assesses what sound you are getting, and is able to make fine tuning adjustments to match your prescription.
Step 5
“Subjective verification”: How does it all sound to you?
Step 6
Options within the hearing aid itself will be explained to you, and based on your listening needs, the audiologist might add special functions for you. The sounds of the hearing aid warnings and indicators will be demonstrated.
Step 7
You will be guided through the care and maintenance of the hearing aid, and practice putting it in your ear.
We love the process of helping you hear
After your hearing aid fitting appointment, you will be seen for consultation on a regular basis during your hearing aid trial, which can last up to eight weeks. You will be asked about what’s going well and what’s not going well; what goals are being met, and which ones aren’t. Your questions and concerns will be joyously addressed.
A successful hearing aid fitting takes time – for some people it is a week, for others it can take months. This is because your brain takes time to adjust to sound. Simply by wearing the hearing aids, some of your brain cells are being stimulated – even if you’re not speaking with anyone.
Our brains are amazing, but sometimes it can take a couple of months to really adapt to the sound of the hearing aid. We will work with you through this process, adjusting the sound over time.
We love the process of helping you hear.
Get in touch today
We are an independent audiology clinic in Kapiti. Our professional audiologists encourage you to bring whanau, friend or loved one with you to your appointment.
