When to See an Audiologist

When you think of seeing an audiologist, you probably think about hearing aids. Hearing loss affects more than 10 percent of the population in all age groups, not just those over 70. It can be related to working in a noisy environment, illness, medication side effects and even impacted earwax. It’s important to know when to see an audiologist to treat your hearing problems.

For changes in hearing

There are many reasons why your hearing may change and an audiologist can determine the cause and find a treatment. Most commonly people notice a decrease in hearing when things sound muffled or it’s become difficult to hear sounds you heard in the past. Also you may notice you’re asking people to repeat themselves or you have a difficult time hearing someone speak in a noisy room. Other changes include having difficulty hearing children speak or hearing telephone conversations.

A more serious problem involves a severe decrease in hearing over a short period of time. In that case, it’s imperative to see a specialist as soon as possible.

Ringing in the ears

This is called tinnitus and can sound like a ringing, clicking, popping, buzzing or swooshing noise in your ears (that is not heard by others). The American Tinnitus Association reports nearly 50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus. While it can be treated, it cannot be cured. Your audiologist can diagnose the cause. Treatments may include specialized hearing aids or white noise machines.

Earwax issues

An audiologist will physically examine your ears and determine if you have excess earwax that may be impacted, causing pain. Earwax becomes impacted due to improper ear cleaning, such as using cotton swabs in the ear canal. This often causes earwax to be pushed back toward the eardrum instead of removing it, leading to a blockage. Some people produce more earwax than others and need help clearing their ear canals. An audiologist may use irrigation, suction or a curette to remove the wax.

Balance disorders

Audiologists can diagnose and treat inner ear conditions that sometimes cause dizziness, lightheadedness or vertigo. Many offer vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which helps reduce the feelings of imbalance.

For a checkup

After age 65, one in three people in the U.S. has some hearing loss. That’s why it’s important to have what’s called a “baseline” hearing test in your mid to late 50s so your audiologist can compare future reports to determine your exact hearing loss. If you are older than 55 and you haven’t had a hearing test in the past 10 years, it’s a good idea to see your audiologist to have your hearing checked. After age 65, it’s a good idea to have annual checkups so that any hearing loss can be caught early.

Audiologists do so much more than fit hearing aids. When to see an audiologist? When you have any hearing issues or ear pain. If the situation requires, your audiologist can recommend a specialist to deal with more complicated hearing health issues.