Not everyone who has difficulty hearing needs or is ready to consider a hearing aid. The audiologist assesses your requirements and recommends the most suitable type of hearing aid.
Reading the Audiogram First
The results of your pure-tone hearing test are plotted on an ‘Audiogram’ graph which outlines the exact frequency you have been found to be lacking and the degree of loss. Mild, Moderate, Severe hearing loss is plotted on the graph and whether you have a single sided hearing loss or dual. This information will enable the Audiologist to decide whether a hearing aid is required and if so what type would be most suitable.
Ruling Out Medical Causes
Your Audiologist will also investigate if your hearing loss is caused by a medical problem such as fluid in the middle ear, an ear infection or even a perforated eardrum. The ear canal will be examined and if necessary you will be referred to your GP or an ENT Specialist for treatment prior to being fitted with a hearing aid.
Checking Your Listening Environments
It’s also important to consider how you will use hearing aids in your day-to-day life – will you need extra features for dealing with noisy workplaces or eating out in busy restaurants? For full information on the assessment and fitting process for hearing aids, visit the RNID website.
Assessing Physical Fit and Dexterity
Audiologists can also assess whether you have the correct size of ear canal to accommodate certain models of hearing aid as well as how much dexterity you have in your fingers to deal with the complex array of controls and to change the batteries. For Audiologist Cheltenham, see //www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/cheltenham.
Discussing a Trial Period
Most audiologists will inform you of the audiologists expectations before fitting the hearing aid. This includes what you can expect from a trial period and what will happen if the hearing aid does not suit.
Together, these checks enable both the client and the Audiologist to select the best solution for their needs.
