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Why proper hearing aid fitting is essential

Professional fitting ensures your hearing aids match your hearing prescription

Hearing aids are engineered to be personalized. Over the years, new technologies and capabilities have been incorporated into hearing aids so they can better match the needs of the wearer. 


When hearing aids arrive at the clinic, they are set to factory defaults. Hearing aid fitting is the process of adjusting and personalizing the hearing aids to match your hearing prescription. 


Professional hearing aid fitting is essential to getting the most out of your devices.


What happens before a hearing aid fitting

A comprehensive hearing test will determine the state of your hearing, including which sounds that you can hear and which sounds you struggle with. Based on the results of these tests, your audiologist will create your unique hearing profile. 


Your new hearing aids will be programmed according to your hearing profile. The information from the hearing tests will be used to optimize the volume, noise reduction, intensity level, and maximum power output of your hearing aids – all while ensuring the output is comfortable and helpful.


What happens during a hearing aid fitting

After your new hearing aids arrive at the clinic, our team will set up the devices according to your hearing profile. Then the next step is one of the most crucial: the hearing aid fitting. 


At your fitting appointment, your clinician will have you try your hearings aids to ensure they are comfortable and will help you get acquainted with your new devices. We will go through all the features in detail and show you how to use and maintain your hearing aids. This includes a thorough review of the physical and audiological comfort of the devices. 


We will verify the hearing aids are working as expected. The devices are tested both out of your ears and while you are wearing them. The output of the hearing aids is measured while you are wearing them to confirm they operate as expected under real-world conditions. During this test (called “real ear measurement”), a small microphone is placed in your ear to measure the volume of sound near your eardrum while you are wearing your devices.


A hearing aid fitting helps to determine the optimal level of amplification at the time of fitting. Everyone has specific preferences about the sound they hear through their hearing aids, and your audiologist will adjust the available features to maximize your comfort.


Your brain will need time to get used to the amplification provided by the devices. The information we learn during the hearing aid fitting will be used to monitor progress towards your hearing goals.


Going forward, your hearing aids can be adjusted or reprogrammed as you adapt to wearing them to continue to balance comfort with the necessary amplification according to the hearing loss.


Benefits of proper hearing aid fitting

Match the devices to your hearing loss

The more closely your hearing aids are programmed to match your prescription, the more they will help.


It is essential for an audiologist to match your hearing aid to your hearing aid prescription. Direct-to-consumer hearing aids provide a “one size fits all” solution to hearing loss that can result in inaccurate programming and sound amplification that is too loud or too soft. 


Your hearing profile and your physiological ear structure are unique to you. The real ear measurement during the hearing aid fitting gauges the performance of your hearing aids at every frequency while they are in your ears. 


This ensures the hearing aid is functioning as expected, and you will experience the best possible improvement in your hearing. 


Leverage the incredible technology

Modern hearing aids can be minutely personalized to sound as natural as possible while making it easier to hear in difficult situations.


At a professional hearing aid fitting, your audiologist will ensure the technology and features of your new device are adapted to suit your specific hearing loss needs, and we will teach you how to operate your hearing aids correctly. 


We will help you leverage the technology to ensure you are getting the most out of your devices.


Work towards your goals

Your ears and brain have to get used to amplification, and your audiologist will support you through the transition. As you become more accustomed to living with hearing aids, your devices should be routinely adjusted so they provide the maximum benefit for your hearing loss.


At your hearing aid fitting, your audiologist will determine the amplification that is best for you right now while remaining focused on your long-term hearing goals.


For our clinicians, hearing aid fittings provide an opportunity to discuss your goals and compare them to where you’re at today. This helps us confirm the technology and rehabilitation are all helping to move you in the right direction. 


Better understand your hearing

A hearing aid fitting gives you a chance to discuss any questions you may have, including questions about what you are experiencing while the devices are in your ears. 


It also allows us to learn more about your hearing health. Like with our hearing tests, we strive to understand as much about your hearing as possible with our hearing aid fittings.


The tests and interviews we conduct during your fitting give us a deeper understanding of your hearing profile and help us anticipate the challenges you might face while becoming accustomed to your new hearing aids.


Hearing aid fittings are essential

A hearing aid fitting is an empowering process. It will help you better understand where you are at with your current hearing and track progress towards your goals.


You get the information you need to take control of your hearing health.


If you have hearing aids from another clinic but this process doesn’t sound familiar to you, book an appointment at Professional Audiology. Our audiologists will review your hearing aids to confirm they are correctly set up for you.

How often should I get my hearing tested?

18 Apr, 2023
It’s routine for people to schedule medical checkups, like an annual physical, vision test or dental exam. But regular hearing tests are much less commonplace. Despite the integral role hearing plays in our daily lives, we just don’t tend to pay it as much mind. Your hearing is far from static, which is why we urge everyone—both young and old, known hearing loss or not—to get a hearing test and ensure you’re properly caring for all your senses. What happens during a hearing test? Hearing evaluations may be in-depth, but they are nothing to be nervous about. We won’t be poking and prodding you. Professional Audiology goes beyond the basic tests to better ensure our clients receive the thorough care they deserve. Here’s an in-depth overview of what happens during a hearing test. Hearing Screening A quick pass/fail test of your ability to hear different tones in each ear. It will indicate if you have hearing loss but will not go into any detail about the type or levels of degradation. If you fail a hearing screening, you should definitely get a full hearing test. Hearing Test Sometimes referred to as a hearing evaluation, these tests go in-depth into analyzing and diagnosing your hearing ability, your understanding of speech and assessing your outer, middle and inner ears. Components of a full hearing evaluation Your hearing is a two-part process, involving the physical action of hearing as well as the processing of the sound information once received by your brain. It’s crucially important to test based on both these factors to ensure you receive the proper care. There are a number of different tests that will be performed during your hearing evaluation. These include: Air conduction Otoscopy Bone conduction Tympanometry Word recognition Loudness discomfort levels None of these tests are invasive, and when combined, they offer our clients the fullest possible picture of their current hearing, and help highlight the best path to better hearing health. When should I get my hearing tested? There are many good reasons to receive a hearing test, and far fewer reasons not to. If you or someone you know has hearing loss, regular hearing tests are crucial to tell whether your loss is changing or degrading. If you’ve been receiving treatment for hearing loss, hearing tests will be able to gauge if that treatment has been successful in providing help and hopefully stemming the tide of further damage. If you work in a loud environment or frequent loud spaces like concerts, then regular hearing tests can be very helpful in guarding against further damage. Occupational hearing loss is unfortunately very common. If you ever notice a pervasive ringing in your ears, it is definitely in your best interest to receive a hearing test. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, and while it can’t be treated the same way, a hearing test can certainly help you better understand your condition. If you’ve never received a hearing test before, it can be very helpful for future visits to have a baseline to compare to, so in the future it will be easier to determine if any loss has occurred. If for any reason, you or a loved one is questioning whether they may be suffering from hearing loss, then a comprehensive hearing evaluation can either quell those concerns or help lead you to the next step in determining how to tackle and prevent any further hearing loss. 

How hearing loops help when you’re out and about

18 Apr, 2023
There are plenty of situations in your day-to-day life that require a level of active listening. For anyone with hearing challenges, this can create a barrier that makes going about your regular business quite difficult. One solution for dealing with this is hearing loops, a very helpful technology that can make a huge difference for folks who are hard of hearing. What are hearing loops? A hearing loop is a unique sound system that is used to transmit sound directly to a user’s hearing aid or cochlear implant. Made up of a physical loop of cable that is placed around a designated area, a hearing loop transmits sound by generating a magnetic field in the area which delivers a signal to properly equipped hearing aids. When hooked up to a microphone, a hearing loop carries a speaker's voice wirelessly to listeners hearing aids and is best implemented in environments like church halls, theatre rooms and public spaces like banks, information centers and similar public-oriented service providers. How do hearing loops work with hearing aids? For a hearing aid to pick up the transmitted sound from a hearing loop, it has to be equipped with a called a telecoil. Also referred to as a T-coil, this technology is made up of a small coil of wire wrapped around a rod that acts as an antenna to pick up the sound being delivered by a hearing loop. All cochlear implants have telecoils equipped, and nearly 80% of hearing aids either have a telecoil included or are capable of using one. It’s important to ask that a telecoil be included with your new hearing aids, as it is such a helpful tool to be used when you’re out and about. How do I use a hearing loop? This is arguably the best part of hearing loop systems, as cochlear implants and T-coil-equipped hearing aids automatically pick up the signal, meaning you don’t have to do anything to enjoy the benefits of crystal-clear communication. Say you walk into a bank with a hearing loop system. Rather than having to struggle to hear what the teller is saying behind their glass partition, you’ll be able to hear their voice clearly and succinctly without so much as pushing a button. Even better is going to a packed local play and not having to strain to hear the actors, as their voices are being transmitted directly into your ears. Hearing loops provide a level of access that hearing aids alone can’t even offer. More and more locations around the world are adding hearing loops to their services, providing those who are hard of hearing the chance to go about their days with an increased level of normality. Where can I find hearing loops in Edmonton? There are multiple locations around Edmonton that provide the added hearing assistance of a hearing loop. The popular Citadel Theatre in downtown Edmonton has hearing loops installed in two of its performance areas, allowing everyone to enjoy their shows the way they were meant to be. Most of the HSBC banks in the city are equipped with hearing loops, and all of Edmonton’s public libraries offer hearing loops at their front counters. You can go to Hearing Loops Canada For a more detailed list of hearing loop locations as well as plenty of other useful hearing loop resources. If you’re interested in the benefits of hearing loops, your first step should be to book a hearing test . Professional Audiology can help you find the right devices that will not only take advantage of the benefits of hearing loops but also greatly help improve your ability to hear. Take that first step and see how hearing aids can help you take back control of your hearing health.

Tips for hearing better when dining out

18 Apr, 2023
There’s no question that dining out can be a stressful experience for anyone suffering from hearing loss. With diners chatting away, cutlery clanging and music playing at an uncomfortably loud level, even folks with healthy hearing may have a hard time communicating with their table mates. These debilitating decibels can make it an easy choice to stay in and miss out on socializing, which can quickly take a toll on your overall mental well-being. Here are some straightforward tips and tricks that can help those who are hard of hearing have an enjoyable experience when heading out for a bite. Take the Time to Plan Ahead If you are the one planning the restaurant outing, then all the power is in your hands. Make sure to use it! When these tips are combined, they’re sure to increase the enjoyment level of your culinary excursion. Research quiet restaurants People love to make lists and categorize essentially everything online. If you live in an urban area, there’s a very good chance that someone has taken the time to discern which restaurants won’t blow out your eardrums. Choose your seating carefully If you’re planning early, you should be able to pick your seat. Sitting right in the middle of a crowded dining area, with noisy neighbours in all directions, is sure to cause you some distress. Specifically, ask for a high-backed booth or a corner seat where you’ll have a wall to your back. This is sure to cut out a lot of the clamour. Timing is everything As you are the master and commander of your outing, you have a lot more sway in picking the time for everyone to gather and chow down. While brunch is certainly trendy, it won’t be hearing-friendly. Neither will the middle of the dinner rush be. Pick a time after the lunch rush, before the dinner rush, or even have a slightly later dinner. That way, after you’ve devoured your food, the restaurant will be nice and quiet, allowing you and your guests plenty of time to comfortably sip your wine and chat the night away. When Not in Charge of Planning, Advocate for Yourself This can admittedly be quite a tricky one. Nobody wants to inconvenience their friends or loved ones with a perceived huge ask for accommodation. It’s uncomfortable, and odds are your brain will tell you you’re asking too much and being a real pain. We’re here to tell you, you’re not asking too much. Your hearing issue is a real physical and measurable issue. Your mates will more than likely be happy to help you have an enjoyable dining experience. If not, then we’re sorry your friends suck. Bottom line: as hard as it can be, advocating for yourself is more than acceptable. Take Advantage of Tech to Improve Your Dining Experience Thank goodness for the ever-evolving world of technology, as there are products, devices and apps out there that can help you get the most out of your social forays. One such option is the ability to live transcribe the conversations at your table using your smartphone. There are multiple free apps, including a Google Android app that allow you to actively read what is being said by those dining with you. While the technology isn’t perfect, and you may get some comedically hilarious translation hiccups, context will probably help you through those bugs. Hearing aids are life changers for those who are hard of hearing Of course, the tried-and-true method to help you hear your surroundings with clarity and accuracy is hearing aids. Gone are the bulky and awkward hearing aids that stick out like a sore thumb. In are the sleek and discreet hearing aids with advanced technology like directional microphones that will help you focus the conversation. Hearing aids really can make a hugely beneficial impact on your life. You don’t have to continue suffering on your own, struggling from one conversation to another. While not a 100% cure to all your hearing issues, they are by far the best and most effective option to get you back out socializing and enjoying your life the way you used to. You can start your road to hearing recovery by booking a hearing test with Professional Audiology. Our trained and knowledgeable audiologists will help you find the hearing aid solution that works best for your specific needs. Take that first step and see how hearing aids can help you take back control of your hearing health.
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