The Hearing Evaluation
A hearing evaluation will help to determine your level of hearing loss, as well
as its causes and types.
An audiogram will measure your ability to detect sounds at various frequencies or
pitches.
The Ear Impression
Your hearing aid must fit your ear exactly to work properly. Without a proper fit,
you may experience problems with feedback or ear canal irritation. For custom hearing
devices, your hearing care professional will take an impression of your ear canal
to provide the exact shape for the hearing aid.
The Fitting
The process of gathering and measuring specific data about your hearing loss is
called a "fitting." This procedure used to take a fair amount of time and often
involved more than one visit. Now hearing aid fittings are a lot easier and much
more accurate. Using a procedure called Real Ear Measurement, your hearing can be
evaluated in a variety of simulated listening conditions in order to help determine
which hearing aid will be right for you. Best of all, this measurement can be performed
from start to finish in less than two minutes.
What You Can Do
Once your hearing device fits properly, your job is to wear it for a few days in
your regular surroundings. Depending on how well you hear in these settings, your
hearing care professional may make additional adjustments to your hearing instruments.