After your doctor has completed a hearing test consultation, the next step is to be fit with your new hearing aids! But what does it mean to be fit with hearing aids? Your hearing aids are programmed to your prescription. This means that the hearing aids are fine tuned to reflect your hearing needs. In order to appropriately fit your hearing aids to your hearing loss, real ear speech mapping is used.
Real ear speech mapping measures how the sound from the hearing aid is reflected in your specific ear canal. These measurements are then used to make adjustments to the hearing aid programming based on the prescription. There are several different prescription algorithms that have been created based on research in the field, which are also specific to adults and children. This procedure objectively verifies that the hearing aids are programmed effectively for your hearing loss. Additional fine tuning can be performed based on your individual perceptions as well.
In addition to programming your hearing aids, your audiologist will also assess the physical fit of your hearing aids in your ears, ensuring that they are comfortable. Additional information will also be reviewed such as how to clean the hearing aids, put the hearing aids in, and how to use them on a daily basis.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Gardner Audiology at 800-277-1182 or visit gardneraudiology.com.
