What Happens During an Audiologist Appointment?

If you’re someone who is currently going through a few issues regarding his or her hearing, then it may be time to speak to a professional. Thankfully, there will be an audiologist area who will be at hand to fix or hinder any hearing problem that is rearing its ugly face. 

When it comes to the process of seeing an audiologist, however, not many people are aware of what takes place. Fortunately, it’s nothing too hard-hitting or scary. Here, we quickly go through a typical audiologist appointment.

They’ll firstly collect some info 

An audiologist is, of course, a registered healthcare professional, so the first meeting will have some formalities to go over. Your medical history will be discussed and detailed in order to get a full understanding of where you are on an overall level. It’s wise to have a friend or family member accompany you if you’re unsure or nervous about the appointment. This will not only help you with your mental state, but they’ll also be able to discuss your options and pick up information that you may have missed.

Next on to some tests

You’ll then have a few tests in order to get a basic understanding of how your ears are performing. You’ll have otoscopy, which is the examination of your ear canal with an otoscope. This will look for things like earwax build-up to snuff out potential obstructions. It will also look for infections of ruptures within the ear canal.

You’ll also receive tympanometry. This is when the audiologist applies light pressure on the eardrum to see how it reacts. The final test will be the audiometry, which is a quick test to see if you can hear a certain sound at different pitches. 

Results

When you’ve finished your hearing test, they will be shown on an audiogram. The audiologist will go through everything with you and explain to you what everything means. If you are in need of any treatment, they’ll let you know in the simplest possible terms. If you’re diagnosed with hearing loss, then your audiologist will talk to you about it all and explain what may have caused it. They’ll also talk to you about the severity of the hearing loss – which ranges from normal to profound. You may not feel as though the results are accurate – this is very common. The chances are that they are, however.

Your audiologist will then talk to you about how to manage your hearing loss and discuss the best possible solution. The most popular and common solution is that of hearing aids. If you opt for this option, then they will speak to you about the next steps clearly and simply. An impression of your ear would be taken – this involves placing a clay-like material inside your ear for a short while to create a mold of the ear. Yours is, of course, different from others, so there will need to be a customized version unique to you. You may even be allowed a hearing aid during that appointment if you’re lucky – this depends on the type of hearing aid, though.

If you do indeed receive your hearing aid and have it fitted, your audiologist will help you to learn how to use and maintain everything. They’ll program everything and ensure it fits perfectly. 

Extra services you may needs

If you need any other services or have any outstanding questions that need answering, your audiologist will be able to sort a few things for you. They’ll be able to repair your hearing aid should you run into any problems with it. They’ll also clean the device as well as your ears if you feel as though that’s something you may need. An appointment with an audiologist may seem a little nerve-wracking at first, but it will be a more than pleasant experience from start to finish. 

Hopefully, this has answered any queries that have been harboring in your mind. All in all, you’ll likely receive the perfect service from people that are dead set on helping you out. If you feel as though you’re ready to speak to an audiologist about your hearing, then Professional Hearing Aid Associates might just be the right place to visit. They’ll hear you out and provide a wide range of free services once the first impressions are out of the way. If this sounds like something, you’d be keen on, then all you have to do is give us a call today at (785) 940-4101.