Vikki Swift Hearingcare
Hearing Tests
Vikki Swift Hearingcare
First of all we will listen to you. It is a recommendation that you bring someone close to you along to your appointment as it they can often provide useful information.
We want to know how you feel about your hearing and when you feel that you might be struggling.
We will ask some medical related questions so that we have a good understanding of your general health and history.
Next we will examine your ears. We have the latest technology and can show you images of your ears on screen if you are interested. If you have any wax in your ears we are able to gently remove that for you so that we get the most accurate test results.
We will test the quietest sounds that you are able to hear, check that your middle ear is functioning correctly and also test how well you are able to understand speech. At Vikki Swift we have a soundproof room which means that we can test how well you are hearing with your hearing aids in if necessary.
We will discuss all the results thoroughly and answer any questions that you may have.
If appropriate we can make a recommendation on next steps and organise for you to have a FREE trial of one of our hearing aids. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase, our main concern is to ensure that your ears are healthy and that you have all the facts you need to hand.
Your Journey
STEP 1: THE CONSULTATION
The first stage is that we spend some time discussing the difficulties you are having with your hearing, the type of lifestyle that you lead and we take time to understand your listening needs, goals and expectations.
STEP 2: THE HEARING TEST
We examine your ear with an otoscope, we are looking at the health of your ear, ear canal and ear drum, we are also looking for obvious obstuction such as wax or infection, if wax is found we can remove your wax quickly and safely with micro-suction wax removal, if infection is found we may have to refer you to your GP.
Next we perform your hearing test with Pure Tone Audiometry to produce your Audiogram. The hearing test involves you wearing headphones and pressing a button in response to a series of pure tone beeping sounds, we perform two different pure tone tests to give us all of the information needed to advise you on the type, degree and nature of your hearing loss.
STEP 3: THE EXPLANATION OF RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
We take the time to explain your hearing test results.
We would at this point decide whether you simply need a check up in 12 months for a hearing retest or if we feel that you would benefit from using hearing aids we will talk to you about the most appropriate option for you from the full range of solutions available in our centre. We will take the following into account:
- Technology. The right manufacturer and level of technology for your needs.
- Style. The right style of device for you, we look at size, shape, type of hearing aids and discuss all of the options.
- Comfort. The most appropriate fitting hearing aid for your hearing loss and ear shape.
Price. We have a wide range of hearing aids to suit evey budget.
STEP 4: THE HEARING AID FITTING
You can expect to hearing aid to be fitted within 7-14 days after your test dependant on the style of hearing aids dispensed.
At the fitting we will program your hearing aids to your exact requirements, to do this accurately we use methods called:
In Situ Audiometry:
This is where we play sounds through your hearing aid whilst it is in the ear to check what is actually being heard whilst wearing your hearing aid which again provides a much better fitting. We will then program the hearing aids to your own personal settings, you will now be ready to take them home and start using them. We will arrange a follow up appointment within 2 weeks of your fitting.
STEP 5: USING YOUR HEARING AIDS
It is a good idea to get used to wearing your hearing aids in a familiar and comfortable situations, such as at home with the family, you maybe comfortable building up your wearing time as you get used to wearing them. Once you are used to wearing your hearing aids you can wear them all the time apart from sleeping and bathing.
You may notice several things when you start using your hearing aids:
- Speech, music and television will all sound louder and clearer making it easier to hear.
- Consonants such as ‘s’, ‘t’ and ‘ch’ will be more defined.
- You may hear other sounds around you that before were very quite such as taps running, footsteps on tiled floors and ticking clocks.
- Your own voice will also sound different, this is something that you adapt to over time.
As you adapt to your hearing aids in your normal life, you wil then be able to come back to your follow up appointment and discuss any adjustments to sound that you would like, it is a good idea to make a list of anything you notice you would like adjusting so we don’t forget to discuss it.
STEP 6: YOUR FOLLOW UP & FINE TUNE APPOINTMENT
We shall discuss how you have been getting along over the last 2 weeks, at this point we can make fine tuning adjustments to your hearing aids to further personalise the sound for you. These adjustments can make all the difference in the long run and help you get the most from your hearing aids.
