You did the hard part – you visited your audiologist and had your hearing checked.
Once your type and degree of hearing loss were confirmed, you and your audiologist were able to work together to determine the perfect hearing aid for you.
Now there is nothing preventing you from having a better quality of life through improved hearing, right? Wrong.
You are forgetting one of the most important steps in the hearing aid process, the hearing aid fitting appointment.
A hearing aid fitting appointment consists of a counseling session as well as a programming session.
Hearing Aid Counseling Appointment
The counseling appointment is a necessary step to ensure you have realistic expectations, and is crucial for long-term success.
It is important for your Tucson audiologist to prepare you for the new changes in your lifestyle.
Unlike glasses, your hearing aids will not instantly treat your hearing loss. Hearing aids will improve your communication abilities but also have some limitations and require getting used to.
Learning what to expect from your hearing aids beforehand will help ensure you will achieve the maximum benefits from your devices.
Hearing Aid  Programming
Your programming appointment is next. This visit is necessary to make sure your hearing aids are adjusted to the optimum settings for your specific hearing needs.
Your Tucson audiologist will also check the physical fit of the devices to make sure they are comfortable. The hearing aids 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, allowing your Tucson audiologist to measure the volume levels to ensure that you are hearing the full range of sounds properly.
Hearing Aid Fitting
Once the devices have been properly fitted, your audiologist will review necessary care and maintenance.
You will learn how to use your hearing aids correctly, make adjustments for different hearing environments, insert and remove them, change the batteries and clean and care for them properly. You will also learn strategies and tips for better communication.
The final step of the hearing aid  fitting process is to schedule the first of several follow-up visits. This first follow-up visit must be scheduled a few weeks after your initial fitting.
During this appointment, your Tucson audiologist will fine-tune and adjust your hearing aids as needed and answer any questions you may have. It takes a while to fit your devices to their maximum effectiveness so additional fitting appointments may be needed.