Hang with Matt Maxey as he gets new hearing aids

Are you curious about starting your hearing journey but not sure what it will entail? We followed our friend, Matt, through his visit last year at Starkey’s Center for Excellence so we could give you the inside scoop. Here’s how it went.

Note: every office may have different practices or processes, so your exact visit will be a little different as it is custom to you. These photos were taken in February 2020 – pre-pandemic.

After checking in with our front desk staff, our hearing professionals looked inside both his ear canals and cleared them of any wax.

professional ear canal cleaning

Manual ear wax removal is just one method.

Next, Matt went into the booth to get an updated hearing test. It was then compared to his previous hearing test, or audiogram, from his last visit.

Matt Maxey inside a hearing booth
Hearing appointments can be fun!
Hearing booth
The hearing professional sits outside and talks to the patient through a microphone.

After the hearing evaluation, he waited for our hearing professionals to look his audiogram over and choose the appropriate technology for him. Next, we prepared to fit him with the latest technology.

Old hearing aid
Saying goodbye to the old is easy when you’re getting new hearing technology.

Another round of otoscopy was completed before taking earmold impressions. This helps ensure that there is no debris in the ear, so impressions will be the most accurate.

Starkey otoscope
Using a video otoscope to look into Matt’s canals one more time and insert the otoblock prior to the impression material.

First, we inserted a cotton ball on a string, called an otoblock, into the ear canal to catch the impression material. Then, his ears were filled with impression material to make his new custom molds. They did them two at a time for him, but this can be done one ear at a time for those who might be uncomfortable with both ears filled at the same time. We waited a few minutes for the material to harden before taking them out.

Ear canal impression material
What taking impressions looks like.
final mold
The final product!

Earmolds aren’t always necessary for hearing aids. Earmolds are used for a variety of reasons, including: degree of hearing loss, comfort or retention, to name a few. If you’re interested, ask your hearing professional if you’re a good candidate for earmolds or custom hearing devices.

Our team of experts went to work preparing the earmolds to fit perfectly into Matt’s canals.

preparing the earmolds to fit perfectly
Our expert team crafts all custom molds to ensure comfort and durability.

After they were finished, the molds were put in his ears to check the fit. If any modifications were necessary, our team would make adjustments and check the fit again, until they were where they needed to be.

Then, our hearing professionals sat down to talk with Matt about his hearing loss and how the new hearing aids would help him. They also explained the features, how to set them up, control the settings and more.

Consultation
Make sure to ask your hearing professional questions to ensure you know how to use every aspect of your new technology.

Once everything was set and Matt felt comfortable with wearing and using his new hearing aids, he was ready to head out.

If you’re like Matt and need assistance, your hearing professional would love to help either in person or virtually using Hearing Care Anywhere.

Ready to get started on your hearing journey? Find a hearing professional near you.

If you don’t already know Matt Maxey, he’s the man bringing music to the deaf community. You can find out more about him on his website. Or, on his social platforms:

By Starkey Hearing

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