At Audio Help Hearing Centers, our expert doctors of audiology employ real ear measurements (REM) to ensure your hearing aids suit your acoustic needs and ear shape. That way, you can enjoy optimized hearing in any listening environment.
What is Real Ear Measurement?
A real ear measurement is an analysis that measures how your eardrum responds to sounds provided by your hearing aid. It’s used to measure how the shape of your ear canal impacts your hearing aid volume and pitch, so your audiologist can adjust your devices accordingly.
Real ear measurements are recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as the best method to verify that your devices are suited to your specific hearing needs.
Real Ear Measurement Process
REM are painless and require no effort on your part. Your audiologist will place a loop over the top of your ear that’s connected to a probe microphone.
Here’s what you can expect during the test:
- Your audiologist will use an otoscope to examine your ear and ensure no wax or debris is blocking the canal.
- They will place a soft, thin tube in your ear canal. The tube is connected to the probe microphone.
- Your hearing aids will be placed in your ears if you’re not already wearing them.
- The probe microphone will emit a sound to test how well your eardrum responds to the amplification produced by your hearing devices.
- The results will appear on your audiologist’s computer as an audiogram to evaluate how well your ears respond to sound filtered through your hearing aids.
The Benefits of Using Real Ear Measurement
REM provides accurate results. Because this test is based on how your ear responds to sound, it can be used during your initial hearing aid fitting and follow-up adjustments. REM evaluates your unique acoustic needs and measures how much your ear canal shape impacts the success of your hearing devices. For example, REM may reveal that your ear canals are too small for traditional hearing aids, so you may require different amplification devices like bone-anchored hearing aids.
REM ensures your devices suit your needs. Audiologists are expertly trained to evaluate your needs and prescribe hearing aids that best suit your requirements. REM can verify their decision based on your test results. Or your audiologist may find they need to adjust your hearing aid settings or prescription. Then they can make the necessary changes and provide you with a more comfortable listening experience and improve your speech comprehension.
REM can help you adjust to new devices. That’s especially important if you’re new to wearing hearing aids. You may not know what to expect or understand how noises should sound while you’re wearing hearing aids. A REM will help you understand how well your ears respond to sound stimuli and how your hearing aids should perform. Understanding how your hearing aids improve your hearing can help you feel more comfortable with your new devices.
Audio Help Hear Centers proudly offers Real Ear Measurements, so our expert audiologists can provide you with the best possible hearing solution. Call 888-832-9966 or contact us online to schedule your appointment.
