It is possible and acceptable to make an initial, no-obligation visit to a hearing care professional without seeing your doctor first. Here’s what to expect from your first visit:

1. The hearing test
You will be given a hearing or language test to assess the hearing capacity of both ears. This test indicates the extent of your hearing capability.

2. Results of the hearing test
The hearing care professional will explain the results of the test to you in detail. The test shows the extent of your hearing spectrum and which volumes and sounds you can still hear without difficulty – and it shows the areas where there are problems.

3. What can a hearing aid do for me?
On the basis of the test, the hearing care professional can explain to you the extent to which a hearing aid could compensate for your hearing loss and the limitations of hearing aids.

4. My specific needs
When talking to the hearing care professional, describe to him as precisely as possible the situations where you have experienced difficulty in hearing. He will build up an exact picture of your hearing environment and your everyday life: What do you do for a living? Do you talk a lot to other people, either at conferences or with customers – and ever in foreign languages? Do you like listening to music? Do you play an instrument? Do you often go to the theater or the cinema? Do you like to travel?

5. What does a hearing aid cost?
The cost of a hearing aid depends on its performance and flexibility and not on its size. 90% of people are fitted with two hearing aids. Based on your particular needs and with advice from your hearing care professional, you decide how flexible and adjustable your hearing solution should be.

6. Individual adjustment
Next, the hearing aid of your choice is programmed on the computer by the hearing care professional, so that it takes account of all your personal requirements and your test results. Then you can try hearing with your new device for the first time!

» Specialist advice in your area