What to Expect

On average, it takes someone seven years once they realize they are experiencing hearing problems to seek help from a hearing care professional. Many people are hesitant because of any number of different fears or anxieties. Often, our patients are simply unaware of the extent to which hearing loss has affected their lives because the deterioration generally occurs gradually over decades. To help ease the process forward and shed some light on what lies ahead we have detailed what to expect during the evaluation below:

We begin with a simple questionnaire to establish the general hearing history, followed by a visual examination of your ears with our otoscope. You may actually be able to see what our Specialists see on a monitor or television.

This examination will reveal obstructions such as wax or other problems that may be affecting your hearing. The Specialist will then perform a series of hearing and speech recognition tests to determine the possible causes and degree of hearing loss that may exist. If a condition requiring medical treatment is detected, you will be referred to an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Specialist for further testing. If there is no medical condition causing the hearing loss, the Specialist will make the best recommendation to you for moving forward.

Our Specialists use an audiometer to conduct the hearing testing in a sound proof testing booth or room. This equipment emits sounds or tones at various frequencies and at differing volumes. The Specialist will notate your responses to the battery of tests, which will ultimately be used to formulate an accurate diagnosis. Each ear is tested separately because sensitivity to sound often differs from one ear to the other.

Based upon your level of hearing loss, the Specialist may recommend a hearing solution that best fits your lifestyle, hearing loss severity, cosmetic preferences, and budget. In many cases, we find a person’s hearing loss is not significant enough to require hearing instruments and we will simply schedule them to come back in a year to monitor any progression of hearing loss. The Specialist can even fit you on the same day with a set of custom programmed hearing instruments to demonstrate how digital hearing technology can reverse the effects of hearing loss in your life.

We are proud to dispense, fit and service the world’s finest and most advanced hearing instruments on the market today. Unlike many practitioners in our field, we offer virtually every brand. My Hearing Centers is not owned by a hearing instrument manufacturer like Miracle Ear, Beltone and others, rather we are the largest independent hearing care provider in the western US and the fastest growing hearing care provider in the nation. This independence allows us to choose the right hearing instrument from the right manufacturer to best suit your individual needs.

Since your level of hearing loss is unique to you, each instrument needs to be programmed and fine tuned specifically to your needs and to each ear. During your fitting, the Specialist will place the instruments in your ears and program them to the settings that ensure you are getting the very best results.

When you first try hearing instruments, you will notice sounds that you have not been hearing for some time. These sounds might include things like the refrigerator running, the air conditioner humming, or traffic noise. When your hearing was normal, your brain was conditioned to “tune out” these sounds. Since your brain hasn’t had to tune out these noises during your time with untreated hearing loss, it’s a bit out of practice. As you consistently wear your hearing instruments, your brain will adjust to these noises/sounds and automatically begin to tune them out so that you can enjoy hearing all the sounds you have been missing.

The Specialist will schedule several follow up visits during your 45-Day adjustment period. At these meetings you will have an opportunity to discuss your experiences with your new hearing instruments. The Specialist will fine tune your new instruments based on information you provide during these important follow up sessions. It is our promise to work diligently to make the necessary adjustments until you are completely satisfied.