4 Things to Expect at Your Audiologist Appointment

If you’ve recently scheduled an appointment with an audiologist, you might be wondering what to expect at your first visit. Not knowing what will take place can cause stress and overwhelming feelings.

The good news is your appointment with the audiologist will be easy and pain-free. From collecting some background information to running a few tests, there are four things you can expect to occur during your first appointment with the audiologist.

Medical history

One of the first things your audiologist will do is gather a medical history for you. They will want to know about other family members with hearing loss, any trauma you may have sustained to your ears, head or neck, in addition to any medication you are on or have recently taken. There are several medications and conditions associated with hearing loss and learning about your medical history will provide the audiologist important insight into your overall health.

Physical examination

The audiologist will also perform a physical exam of your ears. This usually involves them looking into your ears and noting any physical abnormalities, excessive earwax or other factors that may contribute to your symptoms. This exam is pain-free and fast.

Hearing tests

Your audiologist will also conduct a battery of hearing tests to evaluate the health of your auditory system. There are a number of different types of tests the audiologist can use, and they will discuss any important instructions or information you need to know prior to the tests. Hearing tests are painless and simple for you to perform, but will provide incredibly valuable information for your audiologist when it comes to diagnosing any hearing loss or conditions you may have.

Results

Once the audiologist has gathered pertinent medical information, performed a physical exam and conducted hearing tests, they will utilize this information to provide you with their results. In the event you have hearing loss, your audiologist will likely discuss treatment options with you – most commonly hearing aids. Hearing aids are advanced pieces of technology that help you hear better in the different listening environments you visit. Regardless of the findings, your audiologist will be with you every step of the way to help you find the relief and treatment you deserve.

Visiting an audiologist doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. By knowing what to expect prior to your appointment, you can better prepare for your visit and ensure you get the most out of your time with the audiologist.