What to Expect During a Hearing Aid Fitting

At SoniK Hearing Care Services, our expert audiologists go through many hearing aid fittings in a single week, seeing multiple patients that are often anxious or even worried about their hearing aid fitting. Fortunately, hearing aid fittings are nothing to be concerned about, but it’s still a good idea to learn more about the fitting process so that you get a better understanding of what you can expect when you arrive at our clinic.

Understanding what you can expect from a hearing aid fitting makes it easier for you to prepare for your appointment and allows you to start making a list of any questions if needed.

Hearing aid fitting times

A hearing aid fitting can last anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours depending on how many adjustments need to be made. The hearing aids will also need to be fine-tuned for your needs, so you can expect another series of tests to ensure the quality of sound is up to your standards. Everyone deals with hearing loss in their own way, so you shouldn’t be worried about taking up too much of your audiologist’s time because they reserve the time for your fitting.

Trying on your hearing aids

The hearing aid fitting process comes after hearing test and examination, so it will; usually be the first appointment you have where you can try on your hearing aids. If you’ve already spoken to your audiologist about the type of hearing aid that you want, then you’ll be able to see them for the first time and get to try them out. You should also expect that, should everything be fine with your hearing aids, that you can actually take them home on the same day.

You’ll be able to talk with your audiologist about the different types of hearing aids available, you’ll be able to tune your hearing aids so that you get the right sounds from them and you’ll also get a chance to practice using them. There is an adjustment period to your hearing aids, so it helps to get as much practice as possible in the presence of an audiologist that can help you adjust.

Learning to maintain your hearing aids

Hearing aid maintenance is incredibly important because they’re small and fragile devices. Even if you opt for a bulkier model, hearing aids are generally going to need a lot of care and maintenance in order to keep them working properly. Using them is relatively simple, but you should be aware of any instructions that your audiologist gives about taking care of them.

Some examples include:

• How to store your hearing aids when they’re not in use
• Cleaning tools to use on your hearing aids
• How to replace the battery or charge it
• How to keep hearing aids dry
• When to take out your hearing aids
• The conditions you should avoid using your hearing aids in

It’s fine to ask questions if you’re unsure, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with your audiologist and ask them about anything you’re unclear about, or even consider taking a notebook with you and writing down any information that you think you might forget.

You’ll be able to ask questions

Your audiologist will be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have. This is an excellent time to learn more about your hearing aids, to learn about how to keep them maintained, to ask about future hearing aid options and so on. You’ll get a lot of time to spend with your audiologist so don’t worry about skipping any questions. Even if you have the slightest concern, our audiologists at SoniK Hearing Care Services will be more than happy to help ease your worries and concerns.

It can get quite emotional

If you’ve been experiencing hearing loss for a long time and have yet to try hearing aids, then your hearing aid fitting can be quite emotional. Regaining one of your senses after such a long time can be overwhelming. If you need a break to collect yourself, you shouldn’t hesitate to let your audiologist know so they can slow it down and help you ease your worries or emotions.

Because of this, it’s a good idea to speak to a friend or family member and ask them to come with you for support.

Whether you’re a new patient or want to sign up with SoniK Hearing Care Services, don’t hesitate to get in touch by phoning (312) 346-1136 or visiting us at our clinic. We provide a number of hearing care services to all of our patients and we’re more than happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.