Hearing aid fittings are an important part of treating hearing loss. If you have been encouraged to start using hearing aids, or you are replacing old hearing aids, your audiologist will organize a fitting. In this guide, we’ll discuss why hearing aid fittings are beneficial and what to expect when you have your appointment.
What is a hearing aid fitting?
A hearing aid fitting is an appointment, which is designed to ensure that your hearing aids fit you perfectly. The fitting follows hearing assessments and evaluations, and it plays a crucial role in preparing you to use your hearing aids. When you go to your fitting, your audiologist will explain what is going to happen and take you through some steps to make sure that you are comfortable when you wear your hearing aids and to ensure that you get the best out of the devices.
Are hearing aid fittings important?
Hearing aid fittings are important for several reasons, from ensuring you get the most out of your experience to the best fit. Other benefits include:
Fit and comfort
The most critical reason to attend a hearing aid fitting is to make sure that you are comfortable when you wear your hearing aids. It is essential that hearing aids fit well to prevent discomfort and to optimize performance. If your hearing aids don’t fit right, there’s a risk that you won’t wear them and they might not work as effectively as they should. Your audiologist will position the hearing aids and ask you questions about how they feel, adjusting the devices until they fit you properly.
Modifying settings and programming
Another important benefit of attending a hearing aid fitting is programming the hearing aids and learning how to modify the settings. Your audiologist will adjust the settings to suit your requirements and preferences and they will also show you how to adapt the controls so that you can enjoy optimal function in different environments.
Your audiologist will give you a demonstration, and they will also explain how the settings work and what kinds of advantages they offer in different scenarios. Your audiologist will also be able to answer any questions you have about how to program your hearing aids. During this part of the fitting, your audiologist will ask you to wear the hearing aids and respond to noises and sounds. Your reactions will enable them to customize the settings.
Advice and instructions
Once your audiologist has checked the fit of your hearing aids and programmed the devices, they will give you some advice and instructions to help you look after your hearing aids, store them safely and replace the batteries. Your audiologist will talk you through all the aspects of taking care of hearing aids, including removing old batteries, inserting new batteries, cleaning your hearing aids and storing them.
Your audiologist will demonstrate how to do each task, and they will also talk you through the processes and offer advice to make looking after your hearing aids easy. If you have any questions after your appointment, or you can’t remember what to do when you get home, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Questions and general advice
Wearing hearing aids for the first time can be hugely exciting, but it’s natural to have questions. During the hearing aid fitting, you might find that you have queries, or you may need advice when you get home, and you start using your hearing aids or change the batteries for the first time. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like during your appointment and call your audiologist if you have queries after the session.
Hearing aid fittings are essential and they play a critical role in treating hearing loss. During your hearing aid fitting, your audiologist will check and adjust the fit to ensure that you are comfortable and they will also program your hearing aids and show you how to clean the devices and change the batteries. Your audiologist will also discuss how to use your hearing aids, when to take them out and provide general advice to make sure that you get the best out of them.
During your appointment, you can ask as many questions as you like, gather information about how to use and customize your hearing aids and try your hearing aids out. It’s also essential to remember that you can call and ask for advice at any time after the appointment. If you have any questions about your hearing aid fitting, or you need to make an appointment, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the friendly team at Professional Hearing Aid Associates by calling (785) 940-4101.
