Visiting an audiologist for the first few times can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. Once you’ve made it through the initial consultation, hearing tests and have selected your device, it will be time to schedule your hearing aid fitting. This will be quite a lengthy appointment compared to some of the others you have had so far due to the amount of information you’ll receive. In order to better prepare for your hearing aid fitting, let’s take a look at what you can expect to happen during it.

Fitting your hearing aids

The first task your audiologist will tackle is to fit your new hearing aids to your ears. They will begin by checking to ensure the earpiece sits comfortably in your ear canal. If you are being fit with behind-the-ear hearing aids, your audiologist will check to see that the casing sits securely behind your ear. Next, it’s time to customize the programming of the hearing aids based on your personal hearing test results and to address your needs in different hearing environments.

Real-ear measures

A test called real-ear measures (REM) will be conducted during your fitting appointment. The purpose of this test is to determine the quality of the sound that enters your ears via the hearing aid, and whether or not any adjustments to the programming need to be made. Like all your other tests, real-ear measures are completely painless; your audiologist will ask you to wear headphones and will insert a thin tube into your ear canal. Sounds will then be played into your ear and the measurements taken will be used to calibrate your hearing aids.

Learning about your new devices

The latter part of the appointment will be spent getting you acquainted with your new hearing aids and their functions. You will learn how to properly clean and care for your hearing aids, and how to adjust the settings to get the best possible sound experience in different listening situations. Next, your audiologist will show you how to insert and remove your hearing aids, in addition to what batteries your devices take and how often you need to change them.

Adjusting to hearing aids

Toward the end of the appointment your audiologist will talk you through what your expectations should be over the next few weeks. If you have never used hearing aids before it can take a little while for your brain to adjust to your new hearing, as listening through aids will be a new experience for you. This period of adjustment will likely involve you using a wearing schedule for the first couple of weeks, as wearing your aids constantly to begin with can be a bit overwhelming.

Before you leave the office a follow-up appointment should be scheduled. This visit is for you and your audiologist to discuss any issues or concerns you have since wearing your hearing aids, so that adjustments can be made if necessary.