It’s amazing to think of the technological power that hearing aids have, especially because they are so small in size. In fact, all assistive listening devices have come a long way since the early days of hearing loss solutions. However, what many people don’t realize is that hearing aids need to be programmed and adjusted by an audiologist – you can’t simply stick them in your ears and have them work as they should immediately. Hearing aids are intricate technological devices, and their physical fit is just one aspect of the process. Here is some information about what to expect when you’re in the market for hearing aids:
- First, the audiologist will have assessed your needs through three tests: A test of how well you can hear different pitches and frequencies, which tests for the degree and type of hearing loss; a test to see how well you can understand and hear speech with background noise and in quiet areas; and a test to assess your ability to tolerate loud sounds.
- After this exam, your audiologist will discuss your hearing test results with you and you’ll decide together what types of hearing loss solutions are best for you.
- If you decide to try hearing aids, you will likely schedule a follow up meeting for a hearing aid evaluation, where you will learn about different available features and ear mold impressions will be taken if necessary.
- A few weeks later, you will have your first hearing aid fitting. During the fitting, the audiologist will use specialized software to help measure and filter sounds and assess how you are hearing the sounds.
- The audiologist will put a thin tube in your ear canal to assess the volume of sound near your eardrum, and he or she will perform other painless tests to properly program your hearing aid.
- After the hearing aids are adjusted and seem to be working nicely, your audiologist will show you how to clean and take care of your hearing aids, as well as how to recharge the batteries.
- You will also learn how to maximize the use of hearing aids with multiple settings in different environments.
The most important thing is to be comfortable with your new devices and to learn how to get help if you have difficulty with them.
