Hearing Aid Consultation and Fitting
Two people can buy identical hearing aids and get completely different results. The difference is almost always what happened at the fitting, and this page explains exactly what we do at ours.
IN SHORT
A hearing aid fitting at American Family Hearing Aid Center takes 60 to 90 minutes. We program the devices to your audiogram, then verify the output inside your ear with real ear measurement rather than trusting a factory default. You leave wearing them, and follow-up adjustments are included. Custom styles need an ear impression and usually take one to two weeks to come back.
Going through your results
Before anything is fitted we go through your audiogram together, properly. What sounds you are missing, at which pitches, and what that means for the situations you told us you struggle in.
We also go through your word recognition score, which matters more than most people realize. It tells us how much of speech you correctly identify when it is loud enough to hear comfortably. If that score is low, amplification restores audibility but not clarity, and you deserve to know that before you spend anything rather than after.
Your consultation
If the results show hearing loss that hearing aids can help, the consultation is where we work out which ones. That conversation is mostly about you rather than the devices: where you struggle, who you most want to hear, what your hands and eyes can manage, and what you are willing to spend.
Ask anything. This is the appointment where people are most reluctant to seem uninformed, and it is the one where questions matter most.
Real ear measurement, and why it decides the outcome
Your ear canal is a specific shape and volume, and no two are alike. The same hearing aid, on the same settings, delivers measurably different sound in two different ears. Manufacturer software predicts an average ear. You do not have an average ear.
Real ear measurement puts a thin probe microphone in your canal alongside the hearing aid and measures what is actually reaching your eardrum, then compares it against your prescription and corrects the difference. It takes a few extra minutes at the fitting.
This is the step most commonly skipped in this industry, and it is the single strongest predictor of whether you end up wearing the devices. Independent lab testing of the platforms we fit reports strong performance with an explicit qualifier: when fitted by a professional using best practices. That qualifier is this.
Ask this at every clinic you visit
“Do you verify the fitting with real ear measurement?” It is one question, it takes ten seconds, and the answer tells you more about the quality of care than any brochure. Ask us too.
How do I know which hearing aid is right for me?
Everyone’s hearing is different, which is why the recommendation follows the test rather than the other way round. Once we know your audiogram and how you actually live, the sensible options narrow quickly, usually to two or three.
We weigh three things, in this order:
- Severity of your hearing loss. This sets the power you need and rules some styles out immediately.
- Your lifestyle. A quiet home life and a noisy job need different technology levels. This drives price more than anything else.
- Your budget. Told to us honestly, so we can show you what is genuinely achievable rather than what we would like to sell.
Selecting and ordering
We will demonstrate the options so you can hear the difference rather than read about it. Once you have chosen, custom styles need an ear impression taken in the office, which is quick and painless.
Be aware of the timing: devices are ordered from the manufacturer and then programmed here, so you will not usually walk out with them the same day. Custom styles typically take one to two weeks. We will give you a realistic date rather than an optimistic one.
The fitting appointment itself
Allow 60 to 90 minutes. It is longer than most people expect because the programming and verification are not things to rush.
- We check the physical fit and comfort, and adjust the dome or shell if anything presses
- We program the devices to your audiogram
- We verify the output in your ear with real ear measurement and correct any difference
- We show you insertion, removal, charging and cleaning, and have you do each one yourself
- We set up the app and pair your phone, if you want that
- We book the follow-up before you leave
Bring someone with you
A familiar voice in the room is genuinely useful for judging the settings, and a second person remembers the handling instructions when you are concentrating on how everything sounds.
The first few weeks, honestly
Your own voice will sound odd. Paper will rustle loudly. The turn signal in the car will be startling. None of that means the fitting is wrong, it means your brain has not heard those frequencies in years and is re-learning what to ignore.
Most people settle within two to four weeks of all-day wear. Wearing them only for special occasions makes adaptation take far longer, which is the most common reason people conclude hearing aids “do not work” for them.
Speech in noise keeps improving for months. Come back and tell us what is still difficult, in specific situations rather than in general, and we will adjust. Those visits are included.
Common questions
How long does a hearing aid fitting take?
Allow 60 to 90 minutes. That covers physical fit, programming, verification with real ear measurement, handling practice and pairing your phone if you want it.
Will I get my hearing aids the same day?
Usually not. Devices are ordered from the manufacturer and programmed here. Custom styles need an ear impression first and typically take one to two weeks.
What is real ear measurement?
A thin probe microphone measures what the hearing aid actually delivers inside your ear canal and compares it against your prescription. Ear canals differ enough that the same settings produce different results in different people. Skipping it is the most common reason a good device underperforms.
How many follow-up visits are included?
Two or three in the first three months, then a check every six to twelve months. Adjustments for devices we fit are booked as appointments.
What if they do not sound right?
Come back. Adjustment after real-world use is part of the process, not a sign that something went wrong. Bring specific situations rather than a general impression, since that is what we can actually act on.
Can I return them if they do not work out?
Georgia provides a cancellation period on hearing aid purchases. Ask us to put the trial length, the return deadline and any restocking fee in writing before you order, and ask any clinic the same.
Do you fit hearing aids I bought elsewhere?
Sometimes. It depends on the manufacturer and whether the device is locked to the provider that sold it. Call with the model number and we will check before you drive over.
Start with a consultation
The fitting follows the test. Book the screening first and you will know your audiogram, your word recognition score and which options are genuinely worth considering.