A Step-by-Step Look at the Hearing Aid Fitting Process

Getting hearing aids fitted is a fairly straightforward process depending on which type of hearing aids you are getting and how easy your ears are to navigate. But, if you’re going to be going for your hearing aid fitting, you might be hesitant because you’re not sure what is to come. Hearing health professionals will guide you through this process answering any questions you have about hearing aid fittings or hearing aids.

Hearing Assessment

First you will have your hearing assessment. This will be conducted well before your hearing aid fitting to ensure that you get the right hearing aids. Once you have completed your hearing test, your hearing health professional will discuss the results with you explaining your severity of hearing loss. It’s likely that this will be a separate appointment from your fitting, but there are times where they are done all in the same session.

Taking the Measurements

Once you know what type of hearing aid you are going to need, your ear has got to be measured. Depending on the type of hearing aids that you are getting, an earmold is going to need to be made to give your hearing care professional the information that they need to ensure your hearing aids fit comfortably.

Programming and Customization

It’s essential that the hearing aids are programmed and customized specifically to your needs. Your hearing health professional will be able to do this for you based on the results of your hearing test. This ensures that you are hearing sound at a level that is comfortable for you and doesn’t cause you any kind of irritation if the sound is too loud for example. Some hearing aids can be controlled by apps or manually to adjust the sound settings, but your professional should be doing this first.

Physical Fitting

Once your hearing aids have been made to your ear specifically, it’s time for the physical fitting. This is where your hearing health professional will fit the hearing aid into or onto your ear, and then make any necessary adjustments needed for your comfort. The earpiece has been designed to be a precise fit for your ear and can be adjusted as needed during your appointment. As such, it’s important to let your hearing care professional know if you have any kind of discomfort.

It might take you a little while to acclimatize to the change in your hearing, and the fact that your own voice will be amplified, but there are ways around this if need be. Just let your professional know about any issues that you are having and they can make the necessary adjustments.

The hearing aid fitting can take a little while to be complete with all of the adjustments that need to be made, so it’s just a case of being patient to ensure that you get the right fit. Any further questions that you may have can be directed to your hearing health professional.