What to Expect at Your First Appointment

The appointment starts with introductions and an opportunity for the provider to obtain a medical history, medication list, and a basic understanding of your hearing difficulties and listening experiences. (This is where your notes will come in handy!)

This segment of the appointment usually includes:

• A look inside your ear with an otoscope or video otoscope (a special lighted instrument) to check your ear canal and eardrum
  
• “Hearing threshold test” to determine the degree and type of hearing loss
• “Word recognition test” to evaluate your ability to understand speech in different environments

Here is when your provider will build on the initial conversation with more specific questions such as:

• What is your daily routine?
• How often does your listening occur in background noise?
• Do you experience buzzing, whistling, chirping, or ringing in one or both ears (signs of tinnitus)?
• In addition, if hearing aids are recommended for your hearing loss, the provider may ask about your comfort level with several variables, such as technology options, cost, and how the hearing aids look on you.

Of course, you’ll undoubtedly have questions — and you should feel free to ask them. For example, you may want to know:

• What type of hearing loss do I have, and how much hearing loss is there?
• Do both ears have the same amount of hearing loss?
• Can hearing aids address the problem in one or both ears?
• How much improvement can I expect with hearing aids?
• Is there anything I can do to prevent future hearing loss?