Hearing loss affects nearly 40 million Americans all across the country. Young and old alike strain to hear, struggle to follow conversations and maintain close relationships, and risk a lower quality of life. The good news is that hearing technology has improved drastically over the last few years, and if you have hearing loss, your hearing aid options are amazing, and you can find hearing aids that will help you hear in every listening environment. The first step to choosing the perfect hearing device is a comprehensive hearing test, so that you’ll know exactly what sounds you can and can’t hear. This will help you determine what kind of hearing aid you need, how much power output it will take, and what size of hearing device will work the best.
Consider the Fit
When it comes to getting new hearing aids, the physical fit of the device is extremely important. Many of our hearing devices are custom molded to your ears, and should fit you with comfort and ease. If you have any pain or discomfort, it’s a sign that the devices aren’t fitting you correctly, and you’ll need to have them adjusted as soon as possible. Besides causing discomfort, ill-fitting hearing aids affect the quality of the sound, and you might experience whistling, feedback, or other distracting sounds.
Bring a Friend
We encourage you to bring a friend or family member with you any time you visit our office. From the initial hearing test to choosing the perfect device, or any follow up visits and fittings, having a friend will help you make sure you’ve heard and understood all that’s been said. During your hearing aid fitting you’ll receive a lot of information, and having a friend with you can make the information less overwhelming.
Two heads are better than one, and your friend can help you by taking notes, and making sure you have all the information you need. Looking back over the notes at home will help you remember all the instructions, and learn about your new devices. Your friend will also be able to give your more perspective on your hearing needs, and help you understand all the features of your hearing aids. They can also help you remember instructions once you’re back and home, and make sure you’re using your hearing aids to their full abilities.
Ask Lots of Questions
When it comes to fitting hearing aids, there’s a lot to learn about how your new devices work. You’ll need to get comfortable with changing between programs and settings, adjusting the volume, and understanding what each program can do. It will take you some time to understand and process all this information, so ask a lot of questions at each appointment, and make sure you have a clear understanding of your devices.
We’ll give you tips on how to operate your devices, make sure you know how to put them into your ears correctly, and teach you the basics of hearing aid care and battery changes.
Know Your Priorities
Before coming to the fitting, take some time to think about your priorities, and brainstorm with a friend. Think about the times you struggle the most with your hearing loss, and take notes in what situations you need a bit of extra help. Do you struggle the most to hear in background noise, or during a meeting at the office? Are you scared to drive since you can’t hear all the sounds around you? Knowing your priorities will help us help you, and we’ll program your hearing aids to perform optimally in these situations.
My Hearing Centers
If you’re ready to do the right thing for your hearing health, and get a quality pair of hearing devices, then call us today to book a consultation. We have a large selection of hearing aids from the world’s top manufactures, and we have the device that will help you hear in every situation. Let the experts at My Hearing Centers help you with your hearing test, choosing the perfect devices, and of course the hearing aid fitting. Be prepared to visit us a few times to get the fit just right, and to calibrate the settings to perfectly match your unique hearing needs.