Roughly eight in 10 people with hearing loss who could benefit from a hearing aid don’t actually use one, according to the World Health Organization. What’s the hesitation? Often, the answer is fear that the devices won’t work or be comfortable. At Portland Audiology Clinic, we take compassionate care of you and ensure your hearing aids work the right way for you. The hearing aid fitting appointment, which features live speech mapping, is designed to ensure your hearing aids feel snug and comfortable within your ear canal and that you walk out the door knowing how to use and take care of your new devices.
Hearing aid fitting
The hearing aid fitting appointment is the first opportunity for you to try on your new hearing aids. It also serves as the opportunity for you to learn all there is about your new devices. Of course, trying on a new pair of hearing aids isn’t quite like putting on a new pair of shoes. Tuning the devices takes time, precision and care. Your audiologist will ensure the devices fit comfortably snug and deliver the highest quality sound to your ear.
Live speech mapping
Through live speech mapping, our highly trained audiologists are capable of determining, in real-time, the quality of sound being delivered through your hearing aids. Live speech mapping is the most advanced technology in hearing aid fitting available today, with the industry’s leading audiology clinics using it to provide the best fit.
Understanding how it works
The audiologist will use miniature microphones to record and measure the sound going into the hearing aid. These miniature microphones are placed into the ear canal so they can pick up sound to measure the response of the hearing aid. The audiologist can record this response in real-time and react to it, tweaking the settings of the patient’s hearing aids as needed until they feel, fit and sound just right.
Adjusting to your devices
Hearing all the sounds around you again will be an adjustment, which is why our audiologists will help you understand this process. Whether you need fine-tuning on some of your settings or want to follow a gradual daily wear schedule, we can help you get used to hearing the hum of your refrigerator and the chirping of the birds again.