What to Expect at Your First Visit

Your experience matters.

At Cody Audiology Clinic, you will be treated like a member of Dr. Shepard’s family. During the comprehensive hearing evaluations, Dr. Shepard utilizes a series of tests to accurately diagnose and treat your symptoms. Dr. Shepard takes the time to thoroughly explain the details of your appointment and always tries to offer a variety of solutions to empower patients to make the treatment choices that best meet their needs.

Having an in-person evaluation is crucial to make a proper diagnosis but if you still aren’t sure about coming in, you can also take this quick one-minute online hearing test now!

It’s normal to experience a bit of nerves before visiting a healthcare professional for the first time, but at Cody Audiology Clinic you will feel relaxed and comfortable. Your first appointment is an important opportunity for Dr. Shepard to get to know your needs, concerns, and hopes for long-term results. Prior to seeing Dr. Shepard, please expect to provide the following:

A new patient intake form (i.e. personal information on any injuries, trauma, or exposure to loud noises in your history)
An overview of your medical history.

You’re encouraged to bring a loved one to your hearing evaluation with you. Hearing loss affects more than just the patient, and Dr. Shepard can answer any questions that you or your family may have. Having support from a friend, partner, or family member can also be helpful as you choose the best treatment option for your needs.

During Your Appointment

A comprehensive visit at Cody Audiology Clinic typically takes between 30 and 60 minutes.

First, Dr. Shepard will check the inside of your ears to ensure they are clear and healthy. Any ear wax blockage or abnormalities could be contributing factors to your hearing impairment, so those possibilities will need to be ruled out before beginning your hearing test.

During your hearing consultation, Dr. Shepard will discuss:

Your history (medical and any experiences that are relevant to your hearing health)
Current symptoms
Unique hearing needs for your lifestyle

All these factors help her determine the cause of, and solution for, any hearing issues that may be uncovered.

Hearing Test

We’re proud to offer our patients the latest technology for your hearing test at Cody Audiology Clinic. She will ask you to put on a pair of specialized inserts and you will listen for a variety of sounds that range in frequency and volume. By indicating each time you hear a sound emitted, it allows her to better understand which tones are too quiet, audible, or too loud for your hearing system. Since hearing loss presents itself in a variety of ways, this information will paint an overall picture of the best types of treatment for your specific needs.

The hearing evaluation may include the following tests:

Air conduction and bone conduction testing
Speech testing
Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) testing
Speech in noise testing
Tympanometry or acoustic immittance testing

Reviewing Your Results

After completing a series of tests, Dr. Shepard will sit down with you and discuss your results. You can feel confident that each element of your hearing loss will be explained in detail, as your understanding of this information will largely impact the hearing loss treatment plan that you select. Details including the type and degree of your hearing loss will be clearly explained and you’ll have an idea of how often you may be missing the sounds around you.

If hearing aids are recommended, you will have a wide range of options available.

When making a recommendation for a hearing aid, Dr. Shepard always consider three main factors:

Your type of hearing loss
Your lifestyle
Your budget

Her job is to inform and guide you but never to make a choice for you. Meeting your individual needs and priorities is her mission at Cody Audiology Clinic and it’s why she takes the time to get to know you and your hearing concerns.

After Your Appointment

Most patients find success by taking a slow and steady approach to wearing their devices, and slowly increase the amount of time they wear them each day. Cody Audiology Clinic is available with an open-door policy, and we welcome any and all questions as you get used to your devices. Dr. Shepard recommends follow-up visits as well as regular maintenance for your hearing aids in order to achieve the best results possible. Click here to learn more about the fitting process.

Wearing hearing aids can sometimes come with a bit of a learning curve, but at Cody Audiology Clinic the goal is to provide support every step of the way.

The first time you insert your new devices, you may notice that things seem a bit different than what you expected.

Once you step foot outside of our office, the acclimation process begins! Remember to be patient and diligent with your new devices – plus, if you have any questions, our experts are only a phone call away!

Cody Audiology Clinic will work with you during your hearing aid fitting to adjust your devices in such a way that enhances your specific daily activities.

Even though they possess incredibly advanced components, today’s hearing aids are not “plug and play” like many other electronics on the market. Keep in mind that it may take your brain some time to relearn how to process the sounds you were missing, and although things may seem odd at first, you will slowly adjust to this new way of hearing.

Some of our patients prefer to gradually wear their hearing aids for longer periods of time each day, as this gentle acclimation is easier for them to work with.

Others jump right in and want to wear their devices full-time in order to get the most out of their new purchase. No matter which option feels right for you, the team at Cody Audiology Clinic will always be here to answer your questions. You may find that in certain situations you aren’t hearing quite as well as you would like, and it’s important for you to let us know so that we can fine-tune your devices accordingly.

Follow-up visits are a key component to your success, and our open-door policy offers you the ability to come in and visit us for a quick tune-up or a detailed adjustment whenever needed.

You can expect our staff to check-in with you during the first few weeks after you have received your hearing aids and we recommend visiting our office regularly for routine care.

Hearing evaluations are the first step toward hearing well.

Office Hours

Mon-Thurs 9:00am – 5:00pm