If you ever have any concerns or questions about your hearing health, then you’re likely to research which health specialists are best suited to help you. Most doctors will recommend an audiologist, but before you make an appointment, you might be curious as to what, exactly, an audiologist can do for you. Here, we’re going to look at what sets an audiologist apart from other hearing specialists, as well as some of the services they provide.
Protecting your hearing
If you’re concerned about the future of your hearing health, whether due to working in a loud environment or otherwise, then audiologists can help you find the best solutions to protect it. They can implement hearing conservation programs, including the use of custom ear protection to prevent noise-induced hearing loss based on your specific needs.
Detecting and diagnosing hearing loss
Audiologists are medical specialists, meaning they have received medical training, and as such, are one of the few hearing specialists actually qualified to diagnose you with hearing loss. You can learn more about the audiologists’ approach to assessments but, essentially, they can help you get a complete understanding of your operational range of hearing. From here, they can help classify whether or not you are experiencing hearing loss and can recommend steps to address the impact it can have on your quality of life.
Choosing a fitting hearing aids
The most common treatment that an audiologist will recommend for hearing loss, in most cases, is the use of hearing aids. There is a wide range of devices, suitable for people with different levels of hearing loss, as well as different lifestyle needs, and audiologists can help you pick the right model with the right features to suit your own. Furthermore, they can fit the device for you and provide information and helpful tips to ensure you get the most out of your device.
Balance and vestibular testing
Audiologists can also help with a range of dizziness and balance issues, given how many of them begin with the ear. Audiologists evaluate balance disorders and dizziness through a series of tests that assess the vestibular system, which is crucial for maintaining balance. They may also develop personalized rehabilitation programs to help you manage any symptoms of vertigo or other dizziness issues.
Tinnitus management
Tinnitus is a complex and confounding symptom that can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of, and can stay with people for years of their life. Audiologists can help find some of the common sources but, even when they can’t, they can offer therapeutic interventions, such as sound therapy, counseling, and the use of specialized devices to help reduce the impact of tinnitus on daily life.
Audiologists are the foremost professionals you want to see when you need a real medical opinion on your hearing and ear health. There are more services they provide than just those mentioned above, too, so don’t hesitate to get in touch even if the issue affecting your ears or hearing isn’t mentioned here.
