Annual Hearing Test and Hearing Aid Check

I was pleased to see Arthur Pendelton, aged 72, for an annual HT/HAC. At this visit, the patient described the following updates to their audiological and medical history:

Medical History Review

• Medical history changes: Newly DX with HTN; started on lisinopril (Prinivil®) 10 mg PO QD. Denies otalgia, otorrhoea, or new-onset vertigo. Mild bilateral non-pulsatile tinnitus remains stable.
• Hearing aid use: Reports consistent daily use with good physical comfort. Notes occasional difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments (e.g., busy restaurants) and mild soreness at the right concha bowl after > 10 hr of wear.

Hearing Test

Otoscopy (Bilateral): Clear ear canals. Hearing recheck showed a mild to moderate sensorineural loss in the right ear and a mild to moderately severe sensorineural loss in the left ear. Word recognition scores were 88 % for the right ear and 84 % for the left ear.

Hearing Aid Check

Redux was completed to remove moisture. Both HAs were cleaned, including wax trap, microphone cover, and vented dome replacement. Subsequent listening checks were satisfactory. Data indicated 11.5 hr/day of use. Electroacoustic analysis and directionality testing were completed. The devices met the manufacturer's specifications. REM was completed on both devices with good results at all input levels (55/65/75 dB) Increased high-frequency gain (2,000–4,000 Hz) by 2 dB AU to account for slight threshold shift and improve speech-in-noise clarity. All of the patient's questions were answered satisfactorily.

Patient Education

Reviewed proper insertion technique for the right receiver wire to prevent concha bowl irritation. Demonstrated how to toggle the "Restaurant" directional microphone program via the smartphone app and counselled on optimal seating positioning in noisy environments.

Recommendations

RTC in 6 months for routine HAC and clean, and in 1 year (29/03/2027) for annual HT/HAC. Advised pt to monitor right ear comfort over the next 2 weeks and call if soreness persists for a possible dome size adjustment.

• Retired civil engineer; avid woodworker (reminded to use over-the-ear hearing protection when operating power tools).
• Planning an Alaskan cruise with his wife in 07/2026.

Patient expressed high satisfaction with today's programming adjustments and is likely to provide a favourable review (estimated 5-star rating).