Hearing aids can greatly improve the quality of your daily life if you are hard of hearing. These devices work by amplifying sound waves so your eardrum can more readily pick up the sound vibrations. Hearing loss is not a uniform problem. The quality of one person's hearing may be vastly different than the quality of another person's, even if they both wear hearing aids. In order to make your hearing aid work for you, your doctor will need to adjust it. Real ear measurement services can provide the information your audiologist needs to make those adjustments. Here are four things that will happen during a real ear measurement.
1. Your ears will be examined.
Before the procedure starts, your doctor will first examine your ear canals thoroughly. Earwax is constantly produced by the body to keep the ear canals clean and sanitary. However, built up earwax can lead to an inaccurate reading. If your doctor finds excess earwax lurking in your ear canal, they will clean the area before moving on with treatment. You shouldn't be embarrassed; earwax is natural, and audiologists are used to seeing it.
2. A probe will be placed in your ear.
Once your audiologist is sure your ear canal is clear, they will place a probe inside your ear. You may feel some slight discomfort during this part of the exam, but the probe will be inserted very carefully. Your doctor will try to make you as comfortable as possible.
3. A hearing test will be conducted without your hearing aid.
Your audiologist will play a series of tones. The probe in your ear will be used to measure the vibration of your eardrum. This first test will give the doctor a good idea of the base level of your hearing capabilities.
4. Your hearing aid will be put in place for the final hearing test.
Once your doctor has recorded the results from the first test, you will have the opportunity to put your hearing aid on while still wearing the probe tube. The test will be repeated while you wear your hearing aid. Since the probe is located between your eardrum and hearing aid, it will be able to measure the amount of amplification provided by the device. Your doctor can use this information by comparing it against the test that did not use your hearing aid. They can then make the necessary adjustments to make your hearing aid more functional.
For more information on what happens during ear measurement, talk to real ear measurement service.