What Can I Expect From a Hearing Aid Fitting?
Hearing aids are the single most effective way to correct hearing loss and help restore your quality of life. In order to get the most out of them, however, it’s integral to make sure they’re working the way they should. Ill-fitting hearing aids can make it difficult to hear sounds and go about your daily life, so here’s what to know about fitting hearing aids and how your NYHD Doctor of Audiology can help.
What is ‘initial fit’ and why do patients need more?
Initial fit is a baseline setting to begin fitting your hearing aids. More precisely, the initial fit is what the hearing aid manufacturer estimates is the appropriate gain for the device. While this might be a decent place to start, much more is required to ensure your hearing aids are fit precisely to your hearing loss. Initial fit is usually calculated based on the average ear canal’s size and shape, which means it doesn’t account for specific differences in anatomy. Unfortunately, most professionals who dispense hearing aids stop there. Your NYHD Doctors of Audiology are different, as they incorporate the profession’s best practices by utilizing a true prescriptive method to fit hearing devices.
Your Fitting Appointment
At NYHD your hearing loss treatment starts with selecting the right hearing aid type and level of technology for your needs. Then, you’ll meet with your Doctor of Audiology for a fitting appointment. During this session, you’ll learn basic steps like how to turn on your hearing aid, change batteries (or use the recharging station), and how to keep the devices clean. Then, your Doctor of Audiology will set your device to a portion of full prescription to help your brain get acclimated to the new sounds of life and to get a feel for what adjustments might need to be made later on.
2-3 Week Follow-Up
During this appointment, your Doctor of Audiology will complete a number of measurements to make sure your hearing aid is fitted appropriately.
Real-Ear Verification
This measurement allows your Doctor of Audiology to collect objective data about how well your hearing aids work (verification) as well as subjective feedback about how well you feel it fits your needs (validation). This is a great way to describe to your Doctor of Audiology how well your hearing aids work for you in different situations and what changes you’d like to see.
QuickSIN
This protocol can help your Doctor of Audiology determine how your brain processes speech and noise in different environments, both with and without hearing aids. QuickSIN is ideal for helping your Doctor of Audiology understand how your hearing aids work in everyday situations and prescribe them accordingly.
4-6 Week Follow-Up
Within 4-6 weeks, your hearing aids should be fitted appropriately as you continue to follow up with your Doctor of Audiology and utilize the above protocols. As always, our Doctors of Audiology are here to make adjustments and help you find the right hearing aid fit for your needs
Schedule an Appointment
If you’re ready to seek treatment for hearing loss, your first step is meeting with our Doctors of Audiology. Schedule an appointment with NYHD Institute for Hearing & Balance by calling (212) 744-1971 or visiting our website.
