4 Questions to Ask Your Audiologist

An appointment with your audiologist is not something to be feared. Whether you are suffering from tinnitus, a build-up of earwax or hearing loss, it’s important to schedule an appointment with an audiologist to get the help that you need to feel sane and sociable again. Finding an audiologist is the perfect way to take control of your hearing health, and while you may be reluctant to talk to someone that you’ve not yet met about your hearing problems, you need to take a deep breath, because your hearing health does matter.

To be able to find the right audiologist, you need to do some research and conduct some interviews. You should choose a professional that makes you feel comfortable, secure and confident in their abilities to help you with your hearing loss or other hearing issues. To be able to tell whether an audiologist is the right one for you and your hearing needs, there are some questions that you can ask to help you feel confident in your choice.

1. What type of hearing loss do I have?

There are three different types of hearing loss and here they are:

• Sensorineural: This means that there is inner ear damage or damage to the nerves that connect the ear and the brain. This hearing loss is permanent and cannot be fixed
• Conductive: This hearing loss is usually temporary, and it means that sounds aren’t traveling to the outer eardrum. Allergies, infection, impaction and blockage can cause this.
• Mixed: This is a combination of the first two types above.

Your audiologist will be able to ascertain which type of hearing loss you have and what to do next.

2. What services do you offer?

It doesn’t matter what your reason is for seeing your chosen audiologist, you need to know that they can actually help the issues that you are having. Whether this is for help with tinnitus, loss of hearing or to clear a blockage, their help should get you to a place where you feel heard and you can move together toward fixing the issue. Try to select an audiologist that specializes in your specific issue, as then you’ll know that you are getting the comprehensive treatment that you need.

3. Will I need hearing aids?

Your audiologist will be able to walk you through what your treatment options are and they’ll be able to recommend whether you need hearing aids or implants to help your hearing to improve. Your audiologist can also tell you whether you need one or two of these going forward.

4. What’s included in the cost of my care?

You may need follow-up appointments after your initial hearing tests. Understanding what’s included in the cost of your care will mean sitting with your audiologist or their admin team and discussing the costs before treatment commences. You should also speak to your insurance company to see what support they will offer you.