Things to Consider When Selecting Hearing Aids

If you have made the decision to treat your hearing loss with hearing aids, congratulations! You’ve made a decision that will have benefits far down the line. This is an important first step toward better hearing. There are a lot of things to consider and the technological options can sometimes seem endless. To help you get through the process easier, here are a few things to consider when buying hearing aids for the first time.

Decide what you want

As you are researching brands and features, try to think about the lifestyle you want to lead, and choose features that will complement this. Do you have a Rolodex full of friends that you like meeting in cafes, or are you the person who maintains only a few close friendships? Are you somebody who loves to be outdoors or are you more inclined to watch a movie in front of the TV? Deciding what your needs are helps your hearing professional figure out the hearing device which best suits you.

Find a good hearing professional

Make sure you find a hearing professional you can trust. At Evergreen Audiology, we’ve been helping people with their hearing health for over 20 years, so you know you can trust us to give you the best service.

Bring moral support

Your hearing consultations will contain a lot of information, so it’s best to bring a friend to help digest it together. A spouse, family member, or loved one will do nicely. As someone who has likely observed your hearing loss before even you have, they will also have an idea of your specific needs, and can recommend features based on these requirements.

Get your hearing tested

This might seem obvious, but we see that people are increasingly buying hearing aids online. These might not only be poor fitting; they might also not work with your particular level of hearing loss.

By getting a hearing test, you are taking a step towards getting a hearing aid that suits your particular hearing loss. We take several steps to ensure your devices are tuned to your needs. We run a series of tests to determine the exact nature of your hearing loss, and we’ll ask you questions to determine the kind of lifestyle hearing needs you have. This helps us make the best choice for your hearing loss, your lifestyle and your budget.

Go for a “Test Drive”

It’s a great idea to ‘test drive’ hearing aids before you commit to them, so check with your hearing practitioner to see if this is something they provide. Not only will it give you an idea of the features and power of the device, it also helps you get an idea of how the device performs in different settings. If no such test drive is available, you can also ask your hearing health professional for a demonstration of the hearing instrument you are interested in.

Double Check the Fit

Once you have decided on a pair and have gotten them tuned and fitted to your specifications, it’s really important to check the fit. Remember, you are aiming to wear these during pretty much every waking hour, so it’s important that they are comfortable. A good fit also helps the devices sound their best. It’s also normal for hearing aids to be refitted several times in the weeks following the first time you start wearing them, so don’t be afraid to tell your hearing practitioner if something doesn’t feel or sound right.

Know that good hearing takes time.

It usually takes a month for you to get used to your hearing aids and to really get the most out of them, so it’s best to be patient. If are finding it tough to acclimatize to your new devices, our team at Evergreen Audiology is only too happy to help. It can also help to wear your devices as much as possible when you first get them, so that your brain can get better at tuning out all the unnecessary sounds it suddenly has to process.

Evergreen Audiology

At Evergreen Audiology, we pride ourselves in helping you find the best hearing solutions to meet your hearing and lifestyle needs. Why not schedule a consultation with us to see how we can help you with your first pair of hearing aids? Contact us today!