You’ve been asking people to repeat themselves due to hearing loss for longer than you’d like to admit.
The TV volume that used to embarrass guests has become your new normal.
You’ve perfected the art of nodding in conversations where you’ve completely lost the thread.
Your first hearing aid appointment near Tysons Corner, VA is a lot less intimidating than the months, or even years if you’ve gone that long, of avoidance that typically precede it.
Knowing what happens from start to finish makes walking through that door considerably easier, so here’s your quick guide!
Your Appointment Begins With a Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation
Your audiologist needs a clear, current picture of your hearing across all frequencies.
An audiogram, which is a graph of how well you hear at different pitches and volumes, is the clinical foundation your provider needs to make a diagnosis and develop your custom treatment plan.
The test is non-invasive, typically takes just 30 to 45 minutes, and tells your provider not just whether you have hearing loss, but the type, the degree, and which frequencies are most affected.
During your audiology evaluation, your provider reviews your results with you so you’ll learn which frequencies you’re missing most.
For most patients, it’s the higher-frequency sounds like consonants that make speech clarity difficult.
They go over whether your loss is sensorineural, conductive, or mixed, as well as whether you’re a hearing aid candidate and what type of amplification would be most appropriate given your loss pattern and how you live.
During Your Hearing Aid Appointment Near Tysons Corner, VA Your Provider Will Take Your Lifestyle Into Account
Your audiologist will ask questions that an audiogram can’t answer to determine the best devices for you based on individual circumstances.
They’ll want to know about factors that influence your recommendation, such as:
Whether you spend most of your time in quiet or loud environments
How often you talk on the phone and / or are in group conversations
Your dexterity
Your preferences around device visibility / aesthetics
Your Fitting Appointment Comes After Your Selection
Selecting a hearing aid and receiving a fitting are two separate appointments.
After you’ve chosen your devices, they will be programmed to your audiogram during the fitting, then fine-tuned based on your in-office feedback.
Your audiologist will go over important details with you, such as insertion, removal, care, and maintenance, before you leave so you’re not figuring any of it out at home.
There Is an Adjustment Period in the First Few Weeks
Your brain hasn’t heard certain sounds clearly in years, and the first few weeks aren’t always easy after you receive your devices.
You may find that sounds feel different, some are louder than expected, or your own voice may sound unfamiliar.
Follow-up appointments during this window allow your audiologist to adjust programming based on your genuine-world experience.
Hearing Aid Coverage Varies Across Insurance Plans
Your audiologist’s office can help you understand what your plan covers before you commit to a device.
Many practices offer financing options or tiered hearing aid options at different price points so that access to better hearing isn’t limited by your budget.
Be Sure Your Provider Includes Ongoing Audiology Support
A good audiology practice doesn’t hand you devices and send you home.
Follow-up adjustments, cleaning and maintenance appointments, and annual hearing re-evaluations are all part of the ongoing relationship.
All of this helps to keep your devices performing at their best as your hearing and needs evolve.
Your Better Hearing Starts With One Appointment, So Call ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery to Make It Today
Our audiology team makes every hearing aid appointment near Tysons Corner, VA as thorough and pressure free as possible.
Call us at 703-448-0005 today to schedule your first consultation!
