The Process of Receiving Your Hearing Aid in a Few Simple Steps

If you’ve been dealing with hearing loss and your doctor has referred you to an audiologist, they’ll likely have mentioned the possibility of receiving a hearing aid. 

Everyone knows what a hearing aid is. However, you’re likely wondering how the process works when you're getting your aid for hearing. You may also be curious about what will happen at your audiologist consultation. 

In this short article, you’ll learn how it all works in a few simple steps. This will help you prepare for your journey to reclaim your hearing. Let’s get started!

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Step 1: The Initial Audiologist Consultation

The first stage in the process is having a consultation with an audiologist. The audiologist’s job is to physically examine your ears and then perform a hearing test using specialised equipment. 

You’ll likely already have had a hearing test if you were referred here by your GP. That means you received your diagnosis earlier from an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. Nevertheless, this new test will further confirm your result. It also provides deeper insight. 

Once the test has finished, your audiologist will explain the results, including whether a device for improving hearing—such as an aid—will be beneficial to you.  

Step 2: Choosing the Hearing Aid

Once you’ve discussed your result with the audiologist, you’ll explore what sort of hearing aid would be most appropriate for you. 

There are many different types across the categories of hearing loss variation, fit, and feature sets. Importantly, it’s the audiologist's job to match your condition perfectly to a given device, often recommending a hearing aid model tailored to your needs. 

As such, the best hearing aid for you may be very different from the best option for the next person. A tailored approach is key for adequate treatment. 

Step 3: Custom Fitting for Your Hearing Aid

Having decided on the model, further adjustments will need to be made to customise the fitting for your ear. At this stage, your hearing aid is fitted specifically for your ear shape.

This will likely be done during a second consultation with your audiologist. This is because they’ll probably have to wait for your order to come in. 

During the fitting, your audiologist will explain exactly how it works and how to care for it.

Before you leave, they’ll schedule you for a checkup in a few weeks to ensure everything is functioning as it should. 

Step 4: Adjusting at Home

It’s important to understand that it’s likely going to take a while for you to fully adjust to your hearing aid. There will be a marked difference in your perception of the world around you. In fact, this can be quite startling at first. 

Your audiologist will explain what to expect, and it’s a good idea to note down your initial experience. Are things too loud or quiet? Perhaps you’re hearing spikes in audio feedback or tinnitus-type sounds. Maybe there’s nothing amiss at all, and you were lucky enough to have a perfectly calibrated device the first time. As you adjust, the hearing aid will gradually become an essential part of your daily routine. 

Having gone through the necessary modifications to the settings with your audiologist, it should then be fully functional. Your next consultation will be scheduled for several months after this point.

Also READ - Ways Better Hearing Supports Your Overall Wellness

Wrapping Up 

While it might seem complicated at first, the process of receiving your hearing aid is actually pretty straightforward. It just requires a little patience. Good luck!