Fitting a hearing aid is not as straightforward as it may sound. A hearing aid fitting is much more than an appointment designed to place new hearing aids in the ear. This session is all about maximizing the benefits of wearing hearing aids and giving patients confidence. If you’ve got a hearing aid fitting coming up, it’s natural to experience a range of emotions. You may be excited, but you might also be apprehensive. If you’re not sure what to expect, hopefully, you’ll find this guide useful.

What happens during a hearing aid fitting?

A hearing aid fitting is primarily used to check the fit of a new hearing aid, but it has a range of other important uses. When you see an audiologist, they will place your new hearing aids in your ears and perform tests to ensure optimum comfort and identify the right settings for you. First, your audiologist will ask you questions about the fit of your hearing aids. If you’re going to be wearing hearing aids for long periods of time on a daily basis, it’s critical that you’re comfortable. If your hearing aids aren’t comfortable, you may be less inclined to wear them, and you won’t enjoy the hearing benefits they offer. If you’re not entirely comfortable, don’t feel that you have to be polite. Be honest, and your audiologist will try and make adjustments to make you feel more content.

When the fit of your hearing aids has been perfected, your audiologist will run some tests to see how you respond to different types of sounds and levels of noise with your hearing aids. The findings of these tests will provide them with information to ascertain the level of amplification you need. The aim is to ensure you can hear both softer sounds and louder noises at a level at which you feel comfortable. It’s essential that you answer any questions honestly, so that an audiologist can program your hearing aids to achieve the desired results.

Adjusting your hearing aids

Once your audiologist has set up your hearing aids, they will demonstrate how to use the controls and change the batteries. They may also give you leaflets and printed information sheets that you can take home with you. If you have any questions, either during or after your hearing aid fitting, don’t hesitate to speak to your audiologist. It can take time to adapt to hearing aids, and it’s perfectly natural to have queries if you’re new to using hearing aids. You can practice changing the batteries, and you’ll also learn how to keep your hearing aids clean and where to store them when you’re not using them. When you’re happy with your new hearing aids, you can head home and start enjoying the benefits. Your audiologist will then organize a follow-up appointment to monitor your progress.

If you’ve got a hearing aid fitting coming up, you may have questions about what is going to happen. Hopefully, this guide has given you some clues and helped you prepare.