What to Expect
Take a Hearing Test
A hearing test is simple and painless. Most of the time your insurance company will cover the costs of your testing. To begin, the audiologist will take a complete hearing and medical history. This will include questions about your general health, medications you are taking, exposure to noise, past ear diseases, as well as information about situations where you are experiencing hearing difficulties. Upon completion, you will take a series of several different hearing tests to gauge different aspects of your hearing.
Review your Results
After completing the testing, including pressing the button when you hear very soft sounds delivered through earphones, the audiologist will discuss the results with you. The testing will convey the type, degree, and configuration of your hearing loss and give an indication of whether medical intervention is needed. If your hearing loss will benefit from hearing aids, which is the case 90% of the time, the audiologist will present your options.
Select a Hearing Aid
Choosing a hearing aid depends on multiple factors, not just the results of your pure tone hearing test. The audiologist factors in many facets of hearing, including your ability to understand speech, and the shape, slope and severity of your hearing loss. Each person is asked a series of questions about lifestyle, health factors, hearing needs, and motivation to use amplification. We will also ask about your ability to manipulate small objects and note whether you have vision problems. These questions may appear beside the point, but they will help the audiologist determine the size, features, and benefits that will best meet your needs.
The Best Fit for your Needs
No two people are exactly the same, and often their needs regarding amplification will differ as well. We try to find the best fit for your needs, lifestyle, and budget. Two basic questions help to determine what will best suit your needs. These are the style of the hearing aid and the level of technology that will best fit your daily life.
