Common Questions to ask your Audiologist

Your audiologist is there to act as your partner and provider for all services related to your hearing health, ears and balance. As such, they are often the recommended port of call when you or your doctor suspects that you might have hearing loss. However, if you have never worked with an audiologist before, then it’s only natural you might have some questions. Here are some questions that audiologists commonly hear, and some of their answers.

How do I find out what my current hearing abilities are?

Most people will first get in touch with an audiologist because they want to know if they are experiencing any hearing loss or simply want to get an idea of what their hearing abilities are at present. The audiologist can help answer this through a hearing test, which involves exploring your full range of hearing and determining at what pitch and volume you can hear different sounds, including speech. As such, they can help you answer the question of whether you have any hearing loss and, if so, to what degree.

What is the cause of my hearing loss?

If you do have hearing loss, then the process of examining your ears and hearing may also be able to help find out the root cause of it. There are several different causes of hearing loss. Some of the most common causes of permanent hearing loss are exposure to high levels of noise and age-related hearing loss. There are also temporary cases of hearing loss that can be caused by things like trauma to the ear, ear infections and earwax blockages. The audiologist may be able to help you get to the root of your own hearing loss, if the hearing test finds any.

How do I prevent further hearing loss?

Whether you are diagnosed with hearing loss or not, you may want to know how to better protect your hearing in future to prevent it from getting severe. While some causes of hearing loss, such as aging, can’t be prevented, there are solutions against the major cause of preventable hearing loss, exposure to excessive levels of noise. Depending on your lifestyle and where you are most likely to encounter these levels of noise, your audiologist may be able to recommend hearing protection equipment, such as custom-made earplugs.

What intervention is available for my hearing loss?

If you do have hearing loss, then the sooner you seek intervention, the better in most cases. Untreated hearing loss can have significant impacts on your health, making you more prone to accidents and injuries, as well as increasing feelings of loneliness and isolation over time, which can lead to depression. Hearing aids are the most common form of treatment for hearing loss and they come in many different varieties that can assist with all manners of lifestyle. Your audiologist can help you scan the market for the hearing aids that best suit your needs, if compatible. Once chosen, they can help you wear your hearing aids.

How do I wear my hearing aids properly?

During the hearing aid fitting process, your audiologist will go through the process of how to put them in as well as how to adjust and program them as needed. In most cases, you will not begin wearing your hearing aids immediately throughout the entirety of the day. Wearing your hearing aids can be a drastic change, so it takes most wearers some time to acclimate properly to them. Your audiologist is likely to take the time with you to lay out a schedule of how much you should wear your hearing aids each day, increasing your exposure over time until you’re able to wear them for the whole day, except for when you sleep or bathe.

How do I take care of my hearing aids?

Audiologists work with patients who wear hearing aids every day. As well as diagnosing and treating hearing loss, they also tend to become experts on most matters revolving around hearing aids. For instance, audiologists are equipped to perform a range of minor repairs on most hearing aids. Otherwise, they will offer you advice on how to prevent damage to your hearing aid, such as ensuring that it is cleaned regularly and kept free of moisture.

If you have any questions that aren’t covered here, want to arrange an appointment, or want to learn more about how we work at Baker Audiology & Hearing Aids, you can call us at (605) 610-3466.