When your audiologist recommends hearing aids, the selection is only the beginning of the process. Equally important is the fitting, which involves programming your hearing aids and making adjustments to provide the correct levels of amplification for your specific type of hearing loss. Counseling ensures that you have realistic expectations and is crucial for long-term success.
What Is Hearing Aid Counseling?
Before you ever start using hearing aids, you’ll receive counseling to prepare you for this change in your lifestyle. While hearing aids will undoubtedly improve your communication abilities, it is essential to understand they are not a cure for hearing loss and have certain limitations. Learning what to expect beforehand helps you achieve the maximum benefit from your devices.
Do I need two hearing instruments?
We may hear with our ears, but we process with our brain. The brain is hardwired to expect information from both sides of the head. If you have hearing loss in both ears, two hearing instruments will almost always be the best choice. In fact, two instruments ensure your hearing will be less confusing. Why? When we are listening in challenging environments, the location where sound is coming from helps us process what is it. We mentally locate sounds in specific positions so we can focus on what’s most important. Sounds reach one ear fractionally faster and louder than the other and the brain registers these subtle differences. Having two hearing instruments allows the brain to use these naturally helpful cues. Using just one hearing aid, and neglecting the other ear with hearing loss, creates a negative impact by causing auditory deprivation. This prevents the brain and auditory nerve from receiving stimulation and can result in the auditory pathways deteriorating.
How much do hearing aids cost?
Hearing aids vary greatly in price based on their style, features, and local market prices. Price can range from $1,200 to $3,500 for a programmable, digital hearing aid. While price is an important factor in your purchase, it shouldn’t be the only one; consider product reliability, warranty, and customer service, too.
Should I start wearing my hearing aids full-time?
It is important to wear your hearing aids as much as possible to allow your brain to adjust to the new sounds that it has not heard in a long time. Report any questions or concerns at your follow-up appointment. Remember to be patient and allow yourself to get used to the aids and the “new” sounds they allow you to hear.
How long will it take to get used to my new hearing aids?
A hearing aid is an aid to better hearing, not a cure for hearing loss. Getting the most out of your new hearing aids means acquiring new skills. Hearing loss often occurs slowly so your brain becomes accustomed to the poor signal from your ears. Therefore, adjusting to a new signal from your hearing instruments also takes time. In the first week with your new hearing instruments, you’ll be listening to the strange (often loud) new sounds around you — including your own voice. Your audiologist will adjust the hearing aids to be comfortable and over the first several weeks you will work together to create the best sound possible.
How Are Hearing Aids Fitted?
Your audiology specialist or hearing specialist at Benke Ear Nose & Throat Clinic will check the physical fit to make sure your hearing aids are comfortable. They will then be programmed and adjusted based on your hearing loss and lifestyle needs. The hearing aids will be placed in your ears and turned on, which allows your audiologist to measure the volume levels to ensure that you hear the full range of sounds correctly.
Your specialist will then discuss the care and maintenance of your hearing aids. You will learn how to use them correctly, adjust for different hearing environments, insert and remove them, change the batteries and clean and care for them properly. You will also learn tips and strategies for better communication.
What Kind of Follow-Up Care Can I Expect?
Your specialist will schedule a follow-up appointment a few weeks after your initial fitting. During this appointment, your hearing specialist will fine-tune and adjust your hearing aids as needed and answer any questions you may have. It may take a while to adjust your hearing aids to their maximum effectiveness, so additional appointments for adjustments may be needed.
Call Benke Ear Nose & Throat Clinic at (817) 641-3750 for more information or to schedule an appointment.