Doctors recommend that you see a licensed Audiologist for your hearing testing and hearing needs.

Audiology services are provided by Master’s degree and Doctoral level audiologists who specialize in hearing aids and assistive listening devices, are licensed by the State of Indiana and hold the Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology (CCC-A) by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association or a licensed hearing instrument specialist.

Your first visit with a hearing expert

What can you expect from a consultation with an audiologist or hearing instrument dispenser?

You have probably wondered already what will happen during an expert consultation. In order to prepare you for your first visit and address any worries you might have, we would like to provide you with some important information to help you in this process.

You should schedule about an hour for your first visit. If you like, you may ask a relative or friend to accompany you. Many people feel more secure that way. A friendly face by your side is particularly helpful if there are communication issues.

Examination

The audiologist or hearing aid dispenser will examine your ears. This is to check for problems like excessive wax or ear infections.

Hearing test

After the examination, the audiologist or hearing aid dispenser will do a hearing test. You will be given headphones and the expert will play a sequence of tones, some of these tones will be loud and easy to hear and some will be soft and a little harder to hear. The only thing you have to do is to let the expert know or press a button when you hear a tone.  Based on the results obtained during this test, your hearing expert will determine whether additional testing is needed to fully understand your hearing needs.

After the examination and hearing tests the expert will be able to tell you more about your hearing and your hearing loss.

Discussion of solutions

At the end of the consultation, the expert will explain all options available to you in order to recover your hearing. You will be shown a selection of hearing aids that are appropriate and the differences and advantages of the products will be explained to you.

Now is a good time to ask all the questions you might have and to give the expert as much information as possible. The more he or she knows about you, the better the help you will receive.

Receiving new hearing instruments

The hearing care professional will now fit you with your new hearing aid. He or she will insert it into your ear adjust it to your hearing loss and your hearing preferences. In addition, you will receive detailed operating instructions: How to insert the device, how to use it and how to control the volume. The specialist will also explain the maintenance to you, how to replace batteries, cleaning and drying the devices. Finally, the specialist will explain how your hearing aid reacts in different hearing situations. Now you can take your new hearing aids home.

Follow up Care

Digital instruments are dynamic and will adjust differently to the sounds you encounter in different environments.  Because of this, it is not uncommon to need some fine tuning to the response of your instruments.  Your hearing care professional will continue to work with you long after the initial fit in order to keep you hearing as well as possible with your digital instruments.