What Is Real Ear Measurement and Why Does It Matter?

Real Ear Measurement, often abbreviated as REM, is the gold standard for verifying that a hearing aid is programmed correctly for your unique ear. Think of it like getting a bespoke suit tailored. The tailor doesn't just guess your measurements; they use a tape measure to ensure a perfect fit. Similarly, an audiologist uses REM to measure the precise sound levels being delivered directly in your ear canal, ensuring the hearing aid's amplification is perfectly matched to your specific hearing loss prescription.

Without REM, hearing aid fitting is essentially guesswork. Every individual's ear canal has a unique size, shape, and acoustic property. Manufacturer default settings, or "first-fit" presets, are based on an average ear and cannot account for this individual variation. REM replaces this estimation with precise, objective verification.

When a hearing aid is fitted using only the manufacturer's software, it's programmed for a theoretical "average ear." But in reality, no one has an average ear. This can lead to two significant problems:

• Under-amplification: The hearing aid isn't providing enough sound, particularly for the soft consonants crucial for speech clarity. You might feel like you're hearing, but you're not understanding. You're missing out on the full benefit of the technology you've invested in.
• Over-amplification: The hearing aid is providing too much sound, which can be uncomfortable, sound unnaturally loud, or even cause further damage to your hearing. This often leads to people rejecting their hearing aids because they are too loud or sharp.

At our independent audiology clinic in High Wycombe, we see the consequences of these improper fittings all too often. By making Real Ear Measurement a standard part of our process, we ensure that every client gets the most accurate and comfortable hearing experience possible from day one.

The REM process is straightforward, painless, and highly informative. It allows you and your audiologist to see exactly what the hearing aid is doing. Here’s a step-by-step overview of what happens during a REM appointment at our Loudwater clinic:

• Probe Microphone Placement: A very thin, flexible silicone tube is gently placed in your ear canal. It's positioned close to the eardrum by the audiologist.
• Measuring Your Ear's Acoustics: Before the hearing aid is placed, a sound is played to measure the natural, un-aided acoustic properties of your ear canal. This gives a baseline.
• Hearing Aid Insertion: Your hearing aid is then placed in your ear as you would normally wear it.
• Verification and Adjustment: Speech sounds are played through a speaker. The probe microphone measures exactly what the hearing aid is delivering at your eardrum. The audiologist sees this on a screen compared against your prescriptive targets. They then make fine-tuning adjustments to the hearing aid's software in real-time until the output perfectly matches the prescription.

This process ensures the amplification is just right across the entire frequency spectrum, from low pitches to high pitches, giving you the best possible speech clarity.

While REM is considered the global best practice, not all hearing care providers perform it routinely. It requires specialist equipment and, more importantly, the clinical time and expertise to perform and interpret the results correctly. As a leading private audiology clinic in the High Wycombe and Loudwater area, we believe this verification is non-negotiable. It's the only way to be certain that your hearing aids are truly optimized for you.

An investment in advanced hearing aids only pays off if they are fitted correctly. By insisting on Real Ear Measurement, you are ensuring you get the maximum possible benefit, leading to higher satisfaction, better hearing in background noise, and a more natural sound quality. It's the difference between simply wearing a hearing aid and having a truly customized hearing solution.