What Will You Learn at a Hearing Aid Fitting?

A hearing aid fitting is an opportunity for you to learn more about your new assistive devices. It is especially helpful for people who have just been diagnosed with hearing loss and have never worn hearing aids before.

How to use your device

Modern hearing aids come with a wide variety of settings, allowing you to adjust everything, from incoming sound volume to the direction of the microphone. Learning how to set up and program your hearing aid, however, could be a challenge if you try to do it on your own. Audiologists, therefore, not only help you calibrate your assistive hearing device but also show you how to adjust the settings yourself, using both controls on the device and the companion app. 

Taking care of your hearing aids

While manufacturers take great pains to make their hearing aids as robust as possible, they’re not indestructible. Your audiologist, therefore, will provide you with instructions on how you can protect your investment and keep your devices operational for years to come. 

Taking care of your hearing aids is relatively straightforward. You’ll discuss things like how to store it, when to replace the battery, and how to prevent water damage. 

If you don’t take all of the new information in the first time around, don’t worry; you have plenty of opportunities to go back to your audiologist for a second consultation. 

Programming your hearing aids

Your hearing loss is unique to you. For that reason, the settings on your hearing aid also need to be unique, set up to deal with the idiosyncrasies of your condition. 

While an audiologist can set up your hearing aids for you in the office, there’s a chance that your hearing needs will change. It is vital, therefore, that you understand how to adjust hearing aid settings on the fly if you ever find yourself unable to visit a professional for a follow-up. 

Programming your hearing aids is a little tricky. Many audiologists, however, provide step-by-step instructions and provide you with intuition you need if you have to make adjustments yourself. 

Which type of hearing aid suits your lifestyle the most

Manufacturers have developed a host of different types of hearing aids for specific people. 

Those with severe hearing loss benefit most from power hearing aids – large devices with powerful speakers that hook around the back of the ear. People with mild to moderate hearing loss often choose more discreet in-the-ear devices, many of which are entirely invisible from the outside. Some people want lots of connectivity features, like Bluetooth and WiFi, so that they can listen to media directly through the onboard speakers, bypassing the microphone. 

The type of hearing loss you have

Audiologists typically use the hearing aid fitting to discuss the type of hearing loss that you have in more detail. Some people have age-related hearing loss, while for others, it results from illness. Hearing loss can also affect different parts of the ear and the nerves that lead to the brain’s sound-sensing regions.