Hearing Aid Fittings
About Hearing Aid Fittings
Having your hearing aids properly fitted can make all the difference when it comes to both comfort and your ability to enjoy improved hearing. Here at Echo Hearing Center, our staff works hard to ensure that everyone who comes to our hearing clinic has their individual hearing needs to be met. One of the key ways we do this is by providing an in-depth hearing aid fitting process.
Hearing Aid Fittings Start With Assessment of Hearing
Before any hearing aid fitting can begin, it is critical that your exact kind of hearing loss is determined. One of the audiology services we provide is comprehensive hearing examinations, where our audiologist will check for how advanced your hearing loss, what the source of your hearing loss is, and other potential issues.
After you have undergone our hearing exam, our audiologist will go over the test with you to help you understand the depth of your hearing loss and what that will mean for you going further.
Our Audiologist Works Your Lifestyle
Your hearing loss alone is not the only thing which affects the hearing aid fitting process when working with us. After establishing your baseline needs, our audiologist will ask about your lifestyle needs. Some lifestyle aspects which can affect the effectiveness of your hearing aids are:
- Do You Struggle With Tinnitus? There are hearing aids which have tinnitus support built into them, and our audiologist can make sure any options he suggests have tinnitus support.
- What Does a Regular Day Look Like for You? Whether you work in a busy office, are retired but active, or other situations, what you do on a regular basis can affect what hearing aids are best suited to your needs.
- Is Dexterity an Issue for You? Hearing aid technology has been improving rapidly, and consequently, some hearing aids have become smaller. If you struggle with dexterity, this restriction is an important factor in determining which hearing aids won’t frustrate you to use.
- Are You Fairly Technology-Savvy? One way to avoid many dexterity issues and enjoy high-end hearing technology is through technological improvements made to hearing aids. Many hearing aids can be connected to smartphones and tablets to help you control them more easily and enjoy an improved hearing experience.
Along with these things, our audiologist will work with you to determine what types of hearing aids are best suited for your needs.
Your Hearing Aid Preferences Matter
Along with your hearing loss and lifestyle needs, your preference is important when it comes to hearing aid fittings at our Denver hearing clinic. Not everyone has a strong preference when it comes to their hearing aids but here are some considerations which other patients have expressed:
- I Don’t Want My Hearing Aids to Show – There are several ways this preference can be addressed. Most major hearing aid manufacturers make their hearing aids in various colors, so you can choose a hearing aid and order it in a color that matches your hair or general skin tone. Also, there are hearing aids which go inside your ear canal and are practically invisible. Depending on your level of hearing loss, this may be an option for you.
- Having Something in My Ear Makes Me Uncomfortable – If this is a problem for you, there are some styles of hearing aids which will make minimal contact with the inside of your ear canal.
- Changing Batteries Is a Hassle That I Don’t Want to Deal With – You’re in luck! Most major hearing aid manufacturers have developed rechargeable hearing aids, so all you need to do is pop them on their charger after you take them off for the night and they will be ready to go in the morning.
Previous Hearing Aids Can Affect Future Fittings
Quite a few of our patients have come to us after having a less than stellar experience with receiving hearing aids from another provider. If you have had prior experience with hearing aids, you can use it to your advantage for your fitting with our audiologist. Be sure to ask yourself these things about your previous hearing aids:
- Did you like how your hearing aids fit your ears?
- Was there a regular issue with your old hearing aids?
- Did you experience a lot of feedback with your previous devices?
- Would you say your hearing aids were in the way often?
With this information, we will be able to tailor your hearing aid fitting process more exactly and provide you with a better experience with your new hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Selection
With all the above information, our audiologist will proceed to the hearing aid selection process. As there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of hearing aids available, your information will help us narrow in on what hearing aids are best for you.
You can also test out hearing aids at our hearing clinic. While we don’t carry all the various hearing aid options at our clinic, our audiologist will have some pairs available to help you gain a feel for the hearing aids styles and strength you may be interested in.
If you have any budget concerns when it comes to purchasing hearing aids, don’t worry, Echo Hearing Center is here to help you. We have a variety of no-interest payment plans which can be utilized to help you receive the hearing aids you need.
Post-Hearing Aid Selection Fitting Process
After you have selected your hearing aids, our audiologist will order them for you and call you when they arrive at our clinic. Once you come in for your new hearing aids, our audiologist will ensure your hearing aids are properly fitted by:
- Teaching you the correct way to place your hearing aids.
- Checking the fit and seal the hearing aids make with your ear.
- Adjusting the hearing aids programming to suit your particular hearing preferences.
- Going over the various features which come with your hearing aids.
We are committed to helping you have the best hearing possible here at our audiology clinic. So, if you need help adjusting your hearing aids, repairing them, or having new ones fitted, you can contact us for help, and we will help you achieve the best hearing possible.