What is the Purpose of a Hearing Aid Fitting?

Hearing aids are some of the most widely used solutions when it comes to experiencing hearing loss and improving your quality of life. If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss and been recommended to use hearing aids, your audiologist will want to schedule a hearing aid fitting but is it really that necessary? Here is the purpose of a hearing aid fitting and why it’s worth taking the time to make the appointment.

Ensuring It Fits

A hearing aid needs to physically fit your ear to make sure that you can use it effectively. If it is too big or too small, it may chafe and be uncomfortable and it may fall out much more easily. If it doesn’t fit, then your audiologist may send for a replacement or help you find one using a custom mold of your ear. During the fitting, your audiologist will also teach you how to wear your new hearing aid.

Programming It to Your Needs

You have your own level of hearing loss, which your audiologist will have helped you outline using an audiogram, a graph made during the hearing test showing the limits of your hearing. Your hearing aid can be programmed to make sure its amplification levels match this audiogram and it will be tested while you are wearing it to make sure it is effective. Your audiologist will also ask about your home life, work environment and any hobbies or other interests to make sure the device is programmed to help you operate in those environments, too.

Teaching You About Your Device

Aside from teaching you how to put on the device, your audiologist can teach you many things about your new hearing aids. This can include how to use it, how to operate its controls and to access different functions. If there are smartphone apps you can connect to the device, they may teach you how to use them, also. Otherwise, your audiologist will teach you how to care for, clean and maintain your device, as well as how to avoid damage, such as by making sure it is not exposed to moisture. They can offer a range of pamphlets and materials on these subjects so don’t worry if you don’t remember everything immediately. 

Helping You Acclimate

A new hearing aid can be a pretty major change and your audiologist wants to make sure that you are comfortable with using it. As such, at first they will recommend that you only wear it for a short period, perhaps a couple of hours a day. However, they may help you put together a schedule that sees you wearing it for progressively more time each day until you are wearing it for the whole day, except for when you’re in the bathroom or in bed.

If you want to have the best start of your journey with your new hearing aid, then a fitting with your audiologist is recommended. If you have any other questions, you can ask them at any time.