How Do I Know If I Need To See An Audiologist?

To kick off Better Hearing Month, let’s get back to basics: What is an audiologist and when should you see one?

Audiologists are the primary health-care professionals who evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss and balance disorders in individuals of all ages from infants to teens to the elderly. Audiologists also specialize in preventing hearing loss, managing tinnitus, and performing cerumen (ear wax) removal!

At Sonik Hearing Care Services, our licensed, board-certified audiologists have Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degrees. When it comes to your hearing health, we are the experts! Our audiologists will work with you and your family to properly diagnose, treat, and manage your hearing loss.

There are many reasons someone may need to see an audiologist for evaluation. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a problem hearing on the phone? 
• Do you hear better in one ear than the other when on the phone? 
• Do you have a hard time understanding the conversation when more than one person is talking at the same time? 
• Do your friends and family tell you that you turn the TV volume up too high? 
• Do you have to listen carefully to understand conversation? 
• Do you have trouble hearing when it is noisy? 
• Do you have trouble hearing in restaurants? 
• Do you have dizziness, pain, or ringing in your ears? 
• Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves? 
• Do family members or coworkers say that you miss what they said? 
• Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)? 
• Do you respond inappropriately after misunderstanding what people say? 
• Do you have trouble understanding women and children? 
• Do people get upset because you don’t understand what they say?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions, you should schedule an appointment to have your hearing tested by a licensed audiologist. Remember, it is never too early or too late to invest in your hearing health!

Source: The American Academy of Audiology