After choosing a hearing aid, the next step is to set a hearing aid fitting with an audiologist. Hearing aid fittings help ensure that the technology addresses your unique hearing loss in the most effective manner possible. During a hearing aid fitting, you will be given important device care and instructions including how to insert and remove them, how to replace or recharge the batteries, and most importantly, how to keep them clean and dry.
Hearing aid fittings are equally as important as getting your hearing tested. During this session, your audiologist will determine if your hearing aids are giving the appropriate level of amplification and will ensure that they are fitted properly so that you have the best possible experience listening with the said devices.
Your honesty and participation during hearing aid fittings is highly-appreciated so that your audiologist can accurately adjust and program your hearing aids to match your unique hearing requirements. If sounds are too loud, you are hearing some echoes, or the hearing aid feels too tight or too loose inside your ear, make sure to mention this right away so that you will enjoy the best and most comfortable hearing experience.
Real Ear Measurement
Perhaps you, or friends or family you know of, have been fit with hearing aids but still struggle to hear with them. Some sounds are louder but speech is still difficult to understand.
Often, one of the main reasons people are not hearing well with their hearing aids is because they were simply programmed to the manufacturer settings and not customized to their own ears and hearing needs, with no in-ear measurements to ensure they were fit accurately.
Our office uses the gold standard of hearing aid programming- Real Ear Measurements- to make sure soft and conversational speech are audible and programmed within your hearing range. We ensure that the technology you are investing in is fine-tuned to your ears and hearing needs.
What Is Real Ear Measurement?
Real Ear Measurement is a type of real ear measurement that verifies that your hearing aids are fit and accurately programmed for your hearing loss.
First, small microphones are placed in your ears with and without your hearing aids, and calibrated sounds are played. This allows the unique acoustics of your ear canal to be measured. Next, speech sounds are played at different volume levels with the hearing aids in your ears, and programming adjustments are made to ensure, soft and conversational speech are audible and within your hearing range. High-tech equipment will allow you to “see” what you are hearing
Why Real Ear Measurement?
Imagine going to the eye doctor, and rather than glasses being prescribed based on a vision exam, you are told to select the best glasses yourself from a pile of glasses on the table. Do you think you would get the most accurate prescription?
This is often what happens without Real Ear Measurement. Hearing aids are programmed based on an estimated prescription, and then the hearing provider asks you to describe how they sound. They then make adjustments based on your perception of the sound. The problem is, your perception may not be accurate, as you have gotten used to not hearing many of the sounds that you’re supposed to be hearing.
With Real Ear Measurement, there is no guessing and you don’t ever have to wonder if your investment was worth it. Your hearing aids are programmed to meet soft and conversational speech targets.
At Oracle Hearing Center, we ensure that we uphold the best practices in hearing healthcare, including performing real ear measurements for hearing aid fittings. Through real ear measurements, we can ensure that your hearing aid offers the appropriate level of amplification throughout all frequency ranges.
Real ear measurements VS pre-programmed settings
One of the primary reasons that people are not highly-satisfied with their hearing aid is because the device was merely programmed to the pre-programmed settings of the manufacturer. The absence of real ear measurement and lack of customization is a big factor in hearing aid performance.
Real ear measurements are the industry standard for hearing aid programming, and Oracle Hearing Center uses this verification technique to ensure that even soft sounds and conversational speech are clear and audible for your hearing range.
Through real ear measurement, we can guarantee that the device you are investing in is accurately programmed to your ears so it can appropriately address your hearing loss in the best possible way.
Adjusting to hearing aids
You will become accustomed to hearing different sounds as you continue to use your new hearing aids. This may take some time. It’s possible that you’ll hear sounds at a volume that’s louder than usual.
As you become used to your new hearing aids, you might notice a difference in the way the voices of some of the other people around you sound. This is to be expected. Talk to your audiologist about making adjustments if you think that some sounds are coming through too loudly or too softly.
What happens during a hearing aid fitting?
When we are fitting you for hearing aids, one of the things we need to check (aside from the real ear measurements) is whether or not the hearing aids are resting properly in front of or behind your ear (depending on the style). It is very important that you communicate any discomfort to your audiologist so that necessary modifications can be made. It is important that you feel entirely at ease with your new aids, so take the hearing aid fitting as an opportunity to raise any queries or concerns you may have.
Hearing Aid Fitting at Lawrenceville, NJ
Getting a new hearing aid does not automatically solve your hearing problems. You need to be evaluated by an audiologist and get your hearing tested. Hearing aid fittings play a significant role in the success of your hearing aids because this is the first step where you and the audiologist can assess, adjust, and modify how your hearing aids work.
Oracle Hearing Center makes sure to imbibe the best practices in the hearing healthcare industry, combining the skills, expertise, and experience of the best audiologists in Lawrenceville, NJ.
A good-fitting and well-programmed hearing aid will change your life for the better. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!