What is the Hearing Aid Fitting Process?

Having your hearing tested and choosing hearing aids are the first steps to improving your hearing and quality of life. After ordering your hearing aids, you will need to have them fitted to ensure they offer you their full potential. The hearing aid fitting process requires at least one appointment to get your hearing aids feeling comfortable and providing the correct level of sound. You could spend around an hour having your hearing aids fitted for the first time. You might also attend further appointments to have your hearing aids adjusted. So how does it work?

Programming and fitting your hearing aids

Before your hearing professional can fit your hearing aids, they need to be programmed. Using the results of your hearing tests, they will change the settings using special software so that they are programmed for your ears. The next step is to test them to check if they are providing the right level of sound. This requires a thin tube to be inserted into your ear, next to the eardrum to measure how the eardrum reacts and test the volume. The hearing aid is then put in place and turned on so that the volume can be measured again.

Another part of this fitting process is checking that your hearing aids feel comfortable. This means both that they feel physically comfortable in or behind your ear, and that they provide a comfortable level of sound. Your hearing professional might ask you to answer some questions, as well as carry out speech mapping. This will determine whether you are hearing the sound as you should. It should be clear and pleasant, although it might not sound exactly like it did before your hearing loss. Your hearing professional can adjust get the right fit.

Using your hearing aids

Your hearing aid fitting appointment is also a great opportunity to learn all about your hearing aids. You will be using them daily, so understanding how to use them and how to care for them is essential. You will learn how to put your hearing aids in and how to take them out again, as well as how to control the volume and other settings. You will also learn how to change the batteries, and which batteries you need to use. Make sure that you know which size batteries your hearing aids require.

Your hearing professional can help you with how to care for your hearing aids too. They can talk to you about how to clean them and store them, as well as what you can do if you have any problems with them. Some people find it helpful to bring someone to their appointment, who can help them to remember the information that they are given. You can also ask for written instructions on how to care for your hearing aids or take some notes to help you remember. It can take a while to become comfortable with using your hearing aids, but you can soon learn to use them and take care of them.

Getting the most from your hearing aids

Your hearing aids will also help you to get the most from your hearing aids. Wearing your hearing aids can feel strange at first, both in terms of the physical feeling of wearing them and the sound that you receive. It's not unusual to find the sounds that you rediscover overwhelming. There can be some things that you have heard for a long time. You might feel many emotions about wearing your hearing aids and hearing things differently. Being honest with your hearing professional will help them to make the right adjustments.

When you first start to use your hearing aids, you might only start wearing them for a few hours each day. It can be overwhelming if you wear them for too long, especially as your brain needs to adjust to the new input. As you start to use them more, you will get used to them. You can attend further appointments to adjust your hearing aids, which will help you to get a better fit. The first fitting is often just a first step, and you can later perfect how your hearing aids are programmed. Having a positive attitude and practicing with your hearing aids can make a big difference.

Get in touch with us at Peninsula Hearing to learn more about our hearing aid dispensing and fitting process. You can reach our Poulsbo office by calling at 360-697-3061 or our Port Townsend office by calling at 360-379-5458.