What is an Audiologist?

What is an audiologist? That is a very good question. There are different types of hearing health professionals and an audiologist provides a number of thorough and well-rounded services. So why should you trust an audiologist to treat your hearing health issues?

How is an audiologist trained?

An audiologist is a professional who treats hearing loss, tinnitus and other issues that plague your ears. They go to school for at least eight years to learn all there is to know about the ear and hearing. They must learn about hearing and how it is affected. They must learn about the different diseases and hereditary problems that may affect hearing. They learn about hearing loss and the many different ways to test for it. They must learn techniques to test the hearing individuals at any age.

What about hearing aids?

Audiologists learn a considerable amount about hearing aids, including: how they work, how to use them, how to program them and how to fit them on their patients. They are versed in different types of hearing aids, as well as the different manufacturers on the market and what they make. They must learn how to counsel a patient on not only using their hearing aids, but also how to adjust to hearing so many different sounds around them again.

Do audiologists work with children?

Many audiologists are trained to work with children, which can be very different from diagnosing hearing loss in an adult. Depending on the age, children may not be able to properly communicate when they are or are not hearing a sound, which means the audiologist uses different methods to diagnose hearing loss. Additionally, audiologists are knowledgeable in the best hearing aids for children, which can be tricky to fit because of their changing ear anatomy.

Why trust an audiologist with your hearing health?

Audiologists test hearing, dispense hearing aids and counsel and rehabilitate their patients as well as their patients’ family and friends. Hearing loss can be a difficult condition to admit you have and seek treatment for, which is why audiologists are so crucial to ear health. And once your hearing loss has been diagnosed and treated with hearing aids, your audiologist will continue to be a partner in your hearing health, providing information, device adjustments and follow-up visits to ensure you’re getting the most out of your hearing aids.

If you suspect you have hearing loss and are tired of missing the conversations around you, schedule an appointment with an audiologist in your area today.