A hearing instrument specialist can be one of the most effective allies you have when it comes to looking after your ear health and improving your hearing. But the simple fact is that many people don’t know what they do or when you should see them. Here are a few specific instances when you should consider making an appointment.

You need to find out the specifics of your hearing loss

Perhaps you already suspect you have hearing loss or have already been diagnosed. There are many different kinds of hearing loss and finding the right way to treat it means finding out about the specifics of your case. A hearing instrument specialist can perform a full examination of the ear, learning more about your lifestyle, your ear health, and what tones and pitches of sound you have trouble hearing. Altogether, this helps them better understand your level of hearing loss.

You need a new hearing aid fitting

Whether you’ve had a hearing aid before or you're fitting your first one, you should have an examination every time you need a new one fitted. The information they learn from the exam helps them better select the right hearing aid for you. They come in different shapes and sizes, including in-the-ear and behind-the-ear models. But they also offer different levels of assistance, whether it’s features like directional microphones, so you can better hear people when they’re speaking or options like noise masking that block out the specific types of noise that might be causing your hearing loss. A hearing instrument specialist knows more about the market than anyone else and can help you find the best option for your case.

Your hearing aid is broken

As sophisticated as they are, hearing aids can malfunction from time to time. If they’re dropped or suffer a severe shock, they can break, too. Hearing instrument specialists are able to diagnose and fix many of the most common issues that the devices suffer. They also often have direct contact with the manufacturer, finding replacement parts and sending them off for repairs much quicker than you might be able to, alone. What’s more, they may even provide you with a temporary replacement while you wait for your own device to return.

You don’t know how to use your hearing aid or maintain it

A lot of people consider buying hearing aids online or from other providers. There are many issues with this, including the fact they may not be as effective as they should be. But more often than not, they don’t come with the detailed instructions you need to use or maintain them. When you get a hearing aid from a specialist, you get lots of advice on how to take care of your device, as well as how to better operate them and change the levels of amplification, amongst other features.

If you have any hearing loss or trouble with your hearing aid, a hearing instrument specialist should be involved in every step of the way in finding you a solution. If you have any of the problems listed above, then set an appointment and find the next step you can take towards better hearing.