If you have recently been told you need hearing aids it can be a very daunting experience. To make the process easier to understand, we have outlined the steps that are involved in how Audiologists fit hearing aids.
The Initial Hearing Assessment
First of all, before any hearing aid can be chosen, an audiologist will carry out a detailed hearing test to determine the exact degree and pattern of your hearing loss. This will be plotted on an audiogram, which is essentially your prescription for hearing aids. Using your unique results, your audiologist will recommend the most suitable type and power of hearing aid for your particular loss and the shape of your ear canals.
Selecting the Right Aid
You are then matched to the correct type of hearing aid, which will be suited to the degree of loss that you have and the shape of your ear canals. The most popular types of hearing aids are behind-the-ear (BTE) and receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids.
The Fitting Appointment
Your chosen hearing aid is programmed by the audiologist using your audiogram results to produce the best possible hearing aid for your hearing loss. This involves loading the information into the hearing aid using software provided by the manufacturer of the hearing aid, but the software defaults need to be altered by the Audiologist Taunton practice to ensure that the best possible result is achieved based on the results of your ear canal acoustics.
Verification With Real-Ear Measurement
The Verification of the hearing aid by Real-Ear Measurement. This is the crucial part of any hearing aid fitting. A small probe microphone is placed in the user’s ear canal and the user is asked to put on the hearing aid. The probe measures the sound level in the ear canal and this is compared to the predicted sound level in the ear canal, as set by the user’s audiogram. The NHS guidance on how hearing aids are provided and fitted includes Real-Ear Measurement as a verification method to ensure that the hearing aid is providing the correct amount of amplification for the user’s specific hearing loss.
Follow-Up Fine-Tuning
Follow-up appointments to fine-tune your hearing aids until they are just right for you. These can be anywhere from 1-2 weeks apart, depending on your feedback. The audiologist will want to know what is too loud, too quiet or even muddled and can then adjust the settings on your hearing aids to make the necessary changes.
Getting hearing aids fitted can take a few appointments, but each stage of the process has a clear objective and is worth it in the end.
