There seems to be more misunderstanding when it pertains to hearing care than with most other medical specializations. We don’t need to ask, for instance, what a dentist or eye doctor can do for us. But when it comes to our hearing, we’re commonly unsure as to what we should do or which professional we should see.
So what exactly can a local hearing care professional do for you? Several things, in fact—things that could turn out making your life better and easier.
The following are 6 services you should know about.
1. Evaluation of hearing and balance
Hearing professionals are specifically trained in assessing hearing and balance. If you think you have hearing loss, balance problems, or experience ringing in the ears, the local hearing specialist is the go-to expert.
By carrying out professional audiological evaluations, hearing specialists can skillfully establish the cause of your hearing loss or balance problems. And if your hearing loss is caused by an underlying medical ailment, hearing specialists can make the appropriate referrals.
Additionally, If you have chronic ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus, many hearing specialists can provide focused therapies.
2. Earwax extraction
In some instances, what is assumed to be hearing loss is nothing more than excessive earwax accumulation. While it’s not the most glamorous feature of the job, hearing specialists are trained in professional ear cleaning. If this is the reason behind your hearing loss, you could start hearing better within a matter of minutes.
And keep in mind, it’s never safe to insert anything, most notably cotton swabs, into your ear canal at home. There are other proper ways to clean your ears, such as with homemade solutions or ideally by visiting the hearing specialist.
3. Customized hearing protection
A number of people make the mistake of first visiting the hearing specialist after they acquire hearing loss. Don’t make the same error. If you work in a noisy career (for instance as a musician) or participate in loud activities (like hunting), you should pick up custom made ear protection to prevent future hearing loss.
You could just purchase some foam earplugs at the convenience store, but they’re generally uncomfortable and produce an aggravating muffled sound. Custom earplugs fit comfortably in your ear and preserve the sounds you desire to hear while protecting against the sounds that result in damage.
4. Expert hearing tests (audiometry)
Hearing loss is hidden, painless, and at times difficult to recognize or accept. The only method to attain an accurate diagnosis is with the aid of a professional hearing evaluation referred to as audiometry.
Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and practices, the hearing specialist can accurately diagnose hearing loss. After performing the testing, the final results are printed on a chart known as an audiogram. Like a fingerprint, everyone’s hearing loss is somewhat different, which will be visually displayed on the audiogram.
If you can reap benefits from hearing aids, the audiogram will function as the blueprint to programming and personalizing the technology.
5. Hearing aid selection and fitting
Hearing aids are available in many styles, from several manufacturers, equipped with countless features. Given that everyone’s hearing loss and preferences are different, this variety is necessary—but it does make things slightly overwhelming when you need to make a decision.
That’s where hearing professionals can really help. They’ll assist you to find the hearing aid that matches your hearing loss while making sure that you don’t waste money on functions you simply don’t care about or need.
Once you find the right hearing aid, your hearing specialist will use your audiogram as the blueprint for customization. That way, you’ll be certain that your hearing aid optimizes your hearing based on the sounds you specifically have trouble hearing.
6. A lifetime of healthy hearing
The health of your hearing should always be maintained as vigorously as any other aspect of your health. We have primary care physicians, dentists, and optometrists that help safeguard various aspects of our health on a continuous basis.
Similarly, we should have a dedicated professional watching out for the health of our hearing. Your relationship with your hearing specialist shouldn’t conclude after your hearing test; it should be on-going. Hearing specialists offer a range of helpful life-long services, including hearing aid cleaning, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair, together with advice and direction on the latest technology.
So even though your hearing will undoubtedly change over time, your hearing specialist should not. If you agree to locating a local professional who cares about helping people above everything else, you’ll enjoy the advantages of healthy hearing for life.