A recent study from John Hopkins Medicine found that almost 20 percent of people over the age of 12 have some degree of hearing loss. However, statistics show only one out of five individuals who could benefit from the use of hearing aids pursue treatment. With hearing loss being such a common and life-altering issue, it is important to take action as soon as possible. When medical or surgical intervention cannot restore hearing, hearing aids and cochlear implants are a viable option for many individuals. The purpose of a hearing aid is to amplify or make a sound louder. While they do not restore hearing, they do improve hearing ability, allowing you to communicate more clearly.

Finding the Right Hearing Aids for You

If hearing aids are recommended after your hearing is tested, our team at Glendora Hearing will work with you to find the right hearing aids for you. That selection process, called a hearing aid fitting, starts with an assessment of your needs and ends with follow-up visits after the customized programming of your devices. You need to remember that your hearing aid will serve as your extra pair of ears, so you must ensure that the device will fit you comfortably. The device will be programmed depending on your hearing needs so be sure that you focus intently on the hearing test.

How long will this take?

It usually takes somewhere between one and two hours during this first appointment to get fitted for hearing aids. While this may feel long, it is important for you and your hearing care professional to take the time to ensure your hearing aids will fit comfortably and that you know exactly how to use, maintain, and care for them. You should also expect your professional to schedule a follow-up visit to see how well the devices are working for you after an initial trial phase to make any necessary adjustments.

Prepare your questions

Prior to coming to your appointment, take time to gather your thoughts to prepare a list of questions to ask your audiologist. Gather all your expectations and build questions from that so that the clinic can help you understand the process of fitting and living with a hearing aid device. There will be a lot of new information to take in and it is not a bad idea to take notes in response to your questions with a pen and paper or with a digital device. Even though the audiologist will probably give you printed instructions, don’t hesitate to take notes. It will help you look back in case you forget something.

If at first you don’t succeed…

While numerous studies have found that hearing aids can deeply improve the quality of your life, due to current limitations on hearing loss science and technology, hearing aids rarely restore hearing 100 percent of your natural ability. It is very unlikely that after your initial time using your hearing aids they will be calibrated perfectly for your hearing. It is extremely common that some adjustments will be required. If this is your first time wearing hearing aids of any kind, your hearing care professional should give you a wearing schedule suggesting how long and under what circumstances you should wear your hearing aids for the first week or so.

If you have had diminished hearing for several years, it may take some time for your brain to get used to hearing sounds it hasn’t registered for a quite a while. The important thing to remember is to not give up and set your hearing aids aside. They will take some time and perhaps multiple visits to your audiologist before they begin working for you at their optimum performance. Don’t give up! If you can perceiver through the adjustment period the benefits include improved relationships, better health and improved earning potential at work.

Visit Us at Glendora Hearing

The benefits to your new hearing aids are priceless. Contact us at Glendora Hearing to set up a hearing test so we can assess your hearing and fit you with the best hearing aids for your personalized needs. With both you and our friendly team at Glendora Hearing committed to your success, your new life with hearing aids should be an improvement over the one you led while still struggling to hear.

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