Hearing aid acceptance and success depends upon the hearing impaired person’s attitude and expectations. While hearing instrument fitting cannot be successful 100% of the time, most hearing impaired individuals can be successfully fitted. This is possible through the use of the latest technology in hearing instrument science.

Unrealistic expectations in one form or another are experienced by most hearing aid wearers. They don’t want a hearing aid but will use it if they can hear and understand everyone perfectly, or can hear and understand, perfectly, in all background noise situations. Even those with normal hearing occasionally have difficulty in some hearing situations. There is no hearing instrument made that will allow the hearing impaired to hear perfectly in all situations. To expect this will only set them up for failure. Their prophecy will have been fulfilled when the hearing aids were of no value and didn’t work for them. It is far better to have realistic and reasonable expectations when trying a hearing aid. Some realistic and reasonable expectations are as follows:

	Hearing aids are very effective in most situations, especially quiet ones, for mild to moderate and sometimes, severe hearing losses.
	Hearing aids can be effective in many, but not all background noise situations.
	Background noise will be louder, but people with balanced hearing are able to hear and understand through the background noise. This can occur to hearing aid users if their hearing in both ears is balanced, if their hearing is not severely impaired and if they have good understanding ability when speech has been made loud enough for them to hear.

Generally, people who are pleased with their hearing instruments won't talk about them. Those who are displeased will openly talk about their hearing aids. As a result, be careful not to be influenced by those who are improperly fit or those who have an attitude which is isolating them from a successful fitting.

After you have made the decision to get a hearing evaluation and be fitted with hearing instruments, there is some valuable information which will help make the adaptation process a much easier transition.

In order to obtain the maximum benefit from hearing aids you must work with your hearing professional at Midland Hearing Associates. Some key points to remember are as follows:

	Maximum benefits from your hearing instruments take time, effort, and patience
	You must make a commitment and be willing to follow instructions.
	Your hearing aids must be physically comfortable. Allow your audiologist to adjust your instruments for perfect physical comfort.
	Your hearing instruments must produce clear and comfortable sounds, not tinny, muffled or loud. Report tinny, muffled or loud sounds to your audiologist so that the instruments may be adjusted.
	Always try to position yourself in the best listening situation possible.
	Finally, when necessary, use all your powers of observation to assist you in the hearing situation.