Hearing aids: Why it is important to calibrate with a professional rather than buy online.

There are a lot of factors that are considered when fitting a hearing aid. Things like the degree and type of hearing loss, lifestyle factors and physical shape and size of the ears all play a role in what type of hearing aid is best for you and how the hearing aid should be programmed/configured.

Imagine how well it would turn out if you purchased glasses without knowing your exact prescription. The same applies when having hearing aids fitted. They must be fitted properly to ensure they will work best for you.

Audiologists are university trained to program and fit hearing aids by selecting the appropriate acoustic settings/configuration for your hearing loss and ear shape/condition. It is imperative that hearing aids are adjusted appropriately to your prescription targets for them to be successful.

It can also take some fine-tuning to get the sound of hearing aids right for all different listening situations. For this reason, it is important to have an audiologist involved in your hearing aid tuning as they will listen to your feedback on the functioning of the hearing aids and know how to adjust accordingly to improve the sound quality/hearing aid benefit.

Buying a hearing aid online may leave you stuck with a device that is inappropriate for your hearing needs or leaving you feeling like there is nothing to gain from hearing aid use, as ill-fitting hearing aids provide little hearing benefit to their users.

Another concern with buying hearing aids online is that like all new devices, we need to learn how to use and take care of them. Buying online often leaves us with little-no instruction on daily use and management/maintenance of the devices. Audiologists are trained to know the ins and outs of hearing aid parts and will show you how to use and maintain your hearing devices for best results and longevity.

It can also give you piece of mind to know that the hearing aids can be taken to your audiologist for troubleshooting, repairs, and servicing.