In order to get the best hearing experience, you need to speak with your audiologist. In what is often a very short appointment, they can assess your hearing and recommend solutions that will work for you. Finding the right fit may take some time, but it’s worth it because once you do, life suddenly becomes much easier!
Asking the right questions at your first appointment will help you understand what type of hearing device and communication strategies might work for you. If you make an appointment with one of our audiologists, they will be happy to answer any questions for you.
In this post we’ll go through 5 questions every new patient should ask their audiologist during their first appointment. We want this to be a helpful resource for everyone looking for help or information about how to live better with impaired hearing.
1. Ask their experience
When you meet with your audiologist for the first time, it may seem like there is nothing to talk about. For example, questions that could be asked include asking the audiologist how long they have been an audiologist and what training or qualifications they have had to become an audiology specialist. Another question could be asking what they can expect during this first session.
2. Their Authorization from the brand
Not all audiologists are authorized to fit hearing aids. Some audiologists may only be authorized to do hearing tests and they can refer you to another audiologist if they think you need more help than they can offer. Other audiologists may also be authorized to prescribe medical devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. If that is the case, then they will complete a full audiology assessment and conduct diagnostic tests to determine your needs.
3. The Cause of Your Hearing Loss
Ask audiologist why you are experiencing hearing loss: Depending on whether or not this is a new case of hearing loss, the audiologist will want to know what you remember hearing before the hearing loss started. If you are experiencing new-onset hearing loss, then this will help narrow down what may be causing it. Otherwise, if you have experienced hearing loss for a while, the audiologist may ask how severe the current condition is and in what frequencies do you start to notice inabilities in.
4. The degree of Your hearing loss
If you feel that your hearing loss is starting to influence your life, you should talk to the audiologist about this. They will likely ask if it is limiting what you do and how often you do certain activities, as well as how it makes other people feel when they speak to you (if at all).
The audiologist wants to help you and will likely ask you questions that they already know the answer to, in order for them to get a better idea of how your hearing loss is affecting you.
5. How will you get remote support
There is a lot of information that the audiologist will give you, and if you are far away from where you live or work, then it can be a major pain to get there every time. This is the part where the audiologist should tell you if they assist you or not.
6. How your friends & family can help
This is important to know because if you do not have someone to help you out with the activities that your audiologist prescribes for you then this can be a major setback. The services that they prescribe should be easy for you to do on your own without any help. If there are certain things that cannot be done by yourself then these activities should be pointed out to your friends and family so that they can help you out.
Also, it is important to know what activities you should be doing with your friends and family members. So make sure that you are providing this information to your audiologist so they can build a custom program for you.
If you are experiencing hearing loss and want to know more about what your options might be, talk with an audiologist. They can help diagnose and manage the issue as well as prescribe assistive listening devices like hearing aids.
Speak with one of these professionals to get started on the right path for living life without limitations!
For more information, contact us today at 9015-116-116. We would love to hear from you soon!