Your Hearing Journey: What To Expect
Integrate Hearing are hearing assessment specialists serving Stockport, Manchester & surrounding areas.
We provide bespoke hearing solutions where every patient’s journey is tailored to their individual listening needs. However, there is a fundamental pathway to hearing assessments that we have fine-tuned to ensure that you receive the best possible treatment and care from your hearing professional.
Full Hearing Assessment
Approximately an hour and a half of undivided attention getting to know you and your hearing needs, goals and expectations. We spend time discussing the difficulties you are having with your hearing, the type of lifestyle that you lead and important medical questions related to your hearing.
We examine your ears with an otoscope to check the health of your ears, ear canals and eardrums. We will check for wax blockages (if wax is found we can remove your wax quickly and safely with microsuction wax removal) or other conditions which may need referral to your GP.
Next we perform your hearing test with pure-tone audiometry to produce your audiogram. The hearing test involves you wearing headphones and pressing a button in response to a series of beeping sounds, which allows us to ascertain the type, degree and nature of your hearing loss.
Your results will be explained to you in full and at this point we decide whether you simply need a check-up in 12 months for a hearing re-test, or if we feel that you would benefit from using hearing aids.
We will talk to you about the most appropriate hearing aid styles and technologies to suit you, within a budget that suits you too.
Fitting
If you have decided to move ahead with a trial, your hearing system will be ready for fitting approximately 7-14 days after your assessment.
We play sounds through your hearing aids whilst they are in-situ to check what is actually being heard whilst wearing your hearing aid. This provides a much better fitting that is based on your hearing test results and individualised for your specific ear size and shape.
Your audiologist will also ensure you are entirely comfortable and happy with you hearing aids from the physical fitting to your ears, to being confident with any cleaning and maintenance that may be required.
You will now be ready to take your hearing aids home and start using them, then it’s time to see what the world really should sound like!
As you adapt to your hearing aids in your everyday life, you will then return for follow up appointments and discuss any adjustments to sound that you would like. We advise you to make a list of anything you notice you would like to adjust or anything you would like to discuss with your audiologist, so we don’t forget to discuss them.
1 Week Follow Up
Now you’ve had the chance to wear your hearing system in the ‘real world’, we can begin to work together with you based on your listening experiences with your new hearing aids to get you the best results from your hearing aids.
Adjustments can then be made to further enhance your listening experience. Soon your hearing will be just the way you want it to be.
2 Week Follow Up
Your audiologist will continue to analyse the data collected from your hearing aids and take your experiences into account.
You’ll now be much more used to your hearing system and although you will likely be delighted with the results already, we want to make sure you are getting the most out of it and check if any further adjustments need to be made.
Personalised Follow Up Appointments
Your hearing system should be almost perfect by this time.
At this stage you may not need any further follow up appointments, however we will continue to see you until you are perfectly happy with the sound and use of your hearing aids.
Following your final consultation, your audiologist will sign you off as ready for six-monthly/yearly review appointments, safe in the knowledge that you are another satisfied patient enjoying their new hearing life.
Regular Hearing Aid Aftercare
Once you have completed your follow up appointments we will recall you every six months for a check-up. This is important as we will check your hearing aids are functioning correctly and that you are still hearing optimally.
We will complete routine reassessments of your hearing to monitor any possible further deterioration and adjust and fine-tune your hearing aids appropriately.
If you need us outside of your routine aftercare appointments, we are always here to help.
Hearing Aid Audiologist Olivia Austin outlines a typical treatment process when being fitted with new hearing aids at Integrate Hearing.
Try before you buy. Free hearing aids trials with Integrate Hearing
Our Services
We offer all aspects of hearing care in Manchester city centre, Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, Romiley & Marple. Whether it be ear wax removal, hearing aids, hearing tests or tinnitus treatment, we can help. Please click on one of the following services for more information.
Private Hearing Aids
Hear well and stay integrated, with a choice of the latest hearing aids from the best manufacturer’s brands like Phonak, Unitron, Widex, Signia, Starkey or Oticon. Our honest, unbiased and comprehensive advice helps you understand your best hearing aid features and styles.