Hearing aid assessment and fitting

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Audiology service

We provide hearing assessments for adults following a referral from ENT. If you are over 55 and have an age-related hearing loss, a community provider will see you.

The team has the experience and knowledge to assess all patients, including those with any additional needs.

At the assessment you will be seen by an Audiologist and the appointment may last up to an hour. We will take a short medical history and discuss your hearing difficulties.

The audiologist will examine your ears and carry out a hearing test; you will be asked to wear some headphones and press a button whenever you hear a sound. A range of sounds of differing volumes and tones will be played.

The results of the test will be explained to you during your appointment and we will discuss your options. You may be offered hearing aids if appropriate.

We may need to take impressions of your ears to make earmoulds. A full explanation of the procedure will be given to you by the audiologist at your appointment.

Hearing aid fitting

Hearing aid fittings will last for approximately one hour and will involve some measurements to custom fit and fine tune your hearing aids. You will then receive all the instructions needed to look after your hearing aids and we will make sure you are happy putting them in.

At the end of your fitting a follow-up appointment can be booked, should you feel it is needed. The support is then ongoing and you can book an appointment any time you are having difficulties or need a repair. See the hearing aid care section for more information.

Frequently asked questions

The sound of the hearing aids may be different to what you are used to and in the early stages you may hear lots of sounds that you weren’t expecting. It can take up to three months to fully adapt to the aids. We recommend you wear them at home first, in an easy listening situation. Try to build up usage gradually; your brain needs to get used to the new sounds it is receiving.

Hearing aids take time and practice to adjust to. You will find that things always sound strange if you only use them occasionally. The more you wear the aids the quicker you will get used to them. You should always take your hearing aids out before going to bed, or getting in the bath or shower.

Yes. It is very common for your own voice to sound strange with new hearing aids, but this usually settles within a few weeks with regular use. If you are finding your own voice troubling then please book an appointment to see one of the Audiologists.

Yes. It is normal for hearing aids to make things sound louder than you are used to, but it should not be uncomfortably loud. If you are unable to wear the hearing aids because they are too loud, please contact us for an appointment.