Being diagnosed with hearing loss doesn’t have to prevent you from hearing all the wonderful sounds around you. If one of our professionals has determined you have hearing loss, we will likely recommend a device to address your needs. At your hearing aid fitting and programming appointment with Hearing Center of Columbia, we will walk you through the ins and outs of using your new devices. This will include a variety of different things, like: how to properly insert and remove your devices, how to clean and maintain them, how to operate them and how to change or charge the batteries.
A hearing aid fitting appointment contains a lot of information, so you’re always welcome to bring a loved one with you to make it easier to retain these instructions. To better understand what you will experience during this visit, take a look at some of the different support and services we will be covering.
The Fitting Process
Depending on the style of hearing aid you selected during the evaluation stage, we may have taken an impression of your ear to ensure a comfortable fit. During the fitting process, the professional will be placing the device into your ear to check the fit and to demonstrate to you how to appropriately insert and remove your hearing aids. This is a good time to ask any questions if you are unsure of how to hold or handle the technology.
Programming Your Devices
Your hearing aids will need to be programmed for you to get the most out of your listening experience. We use a variety of methods to program the settings of your devices to your tailored, individualized needs. This ensures your hearing aids are helping to fine-tune the sounds you need to hear and reducing the feedback of outside noise.
Live Speech Mapping
In order to determine the best levels for you and your new device, your hearing health practitioner will also guide you through live speech mapping. This process awards patients an interactive experience by allowing them to discover the real differences that a hearing device makes to hearing health!
During this appointment, small microphones will be placed in your ear canal and used to measure the response of your device. Your hearing health practitioner will explain the live speech mapping process, then use high-tech equipment to evaluate what you are hearing through your devices. You will be able to provide immediate feedback so that your hearing care professional can make changes on the spot.
Adjusting to Hearing Aids
If this is your first time wearing hearing aids or it’s been an extended period since you’ve used new ones, it’s important to know you should expect an adjustment period in the beginning. You are going to be able to hear small sounds that you probably haven’t picked up on in a while, from chirping birds to the refrigerator humming. While all of this is exciting, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to hear everything again. We will talk with you about how often to wear your devices in the beginning to get used to these sounds again, while providing you with an overall positive listening experience.
If you are ready to address your hearing loss head-on and find out more about our available treatments, schedule a hearing test with one of our team members today!
