4 Tips to Prepare for Your Hearing Aid Fitting

If you’re about to attend a hearing aid fitting, you may feel a little nervous, especially if this will be your first time wearing hearing aids. However, it’s important to remember that this is nothing to worry about. Wearing hearing aids is a step toward bettering your auditory health.

It is a process designed to ensure that your hearing aid works for you, ensuring the best results and the highest levels of comfort. However, the more prepared you feel when entering your audiologist’s office, the better. With that in mind, here are some steps that you can take to prepare for your hearing aid fitting.

Know What to Expect

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you feel prepared for your hearing aid fitting is to carry out some research ahead of time so that you know what to expect during your appointment. For example, you may want to research the tests that are conducted during a hearing aid fitting to test their effectiveness, like a real ear measurement (REM) test.

Research Your Chosen Style of Hearing Aids

There are a wide variety of hearing aid styles to choose from, with each one varying slightly in terms of function and look. This includes:

• In the ear (ITE)
• Behind the ear (BTE)
• In the canal (ITC)
• Invisible in canal (IIC)
• Completely in canal (CIC)

Your audiologist will have recommended a style for you based on a number of factors, like the extent of your hearing loss or your own preferences relating to discretion and aesthetics. However, carrying out some research into the style you may be wearing is a great way to put your mind at ease. After all, it means that you’ll know how your hearing aid works and the steps you can take to adjust to wearing them moving forward. Your audiologist will also show you how to maintain and wear your hearing aids, for a better listening experience.

If you have any concerns, write them down so that you can discuss them with your audiologist during your appointment.

Write Down a List of Questions

Before your appointment, it’s highly likely that you’ll have 100 questions running through your mind. However, this could mean that by the time you sit down in front of your audiologist, you forget every single one of them. Writing down a list of questions ahead of time means that you’re able to cover all of the necessary bases during the course of your appointment, putting your mind at ease moving forward.

Leave Enough Time

When preparing for a hearing aid fitting, it’s important to leave enough time for the appointment. Fittings can take longer than expected, as your audiologist needs time to adjust the settings and make sure the hearing aids are comfortable for you. Rushing through the process could result in an improper fit or missed information about how to care for your device. Giving yourself plenty of time also allows you to ask questions and ensure you understand how to wear your hearing aids properly.