What Can I Expect When I Visit a Hearing Care Professional?

Have you noticed a substantial difference or change to your level of hearing? If so, then you need to make sure that you are contacting and booking an appointment with a hearing care professional. An expert like this will provide advice and support that you need. They will identify whether your hearing is causing you significant issues and highlight the potential treatment options. This will typically include hearing aids. Hearing aids can substantially improve your quality of life. However, first you need to understand what you should expect when you visit a hearing care professional. There are a few different steps to be aware of here.

Preparation

To prepare for your hearing care professional appointment, make sure that you are booking the right amount of time. It’s worth noting that these appointments usually last about one hour. But you should take into account potential delays and the time that you may require to ask any questions. Typically, these professionals start on time and finish within the allocated period so you don’t have to worry too much about this. You do however, need to make sure that you are gathering as much background information to take with you as possible. This will include a full family history and any details of medications that you might be taking. Be aware that there are countless types of medicine that list hearing difficulties as a potential side effect. Furthermore, issues with hearing can be the first sign of an underlying issue that will need to be addressed. Even recent changes to your diet and lifestyle are worth keeping in mind before you attend. The reason why this information is crucial us because the first step of an appointment like this will typically be a questionnaire. You will be provided a questionnaire to fill out with as much information as you can. This will ensure that a hearing care professional will be able to immediately address any potential red flags or causes of your hearing issues.

An ear examination

This is usually going to be the next step. A hearing care professional will be exploring any signs of a significant blockage or physical issue in your ear that could be causing an issue. This might be the case if you are suffering from objective tinnitus. A hearing care professional will even be able to hear the sound that you can hear which isn’t actually there, using a special device. The good news is that if there is a blockage or a physical issue with your ears, this will usually mean that your hearing loss is temporary and removal will address your current issue. This usually involves a professional ear cleaning to remove any type of blockages or impactions you’ve developed. This physical examination is not uncomfortable and you don’t have to worry about this causing you any pain or additional issues.

A hearing test

The next step in your appointment with a hearing health professional is going to be the hearing test. Here, a hearing care professional will be checking your hearing and exploring whether you are experiencing hearing loss. They will also be investigating the type of hearing loss that you might be developing. This could include the type of frequency that you might be struggling to hear or potentially whether your issue is symmetrical. If it’s symmetrical, your hearing loss will be impacting both ears equally. Hearing tests are non-invasive and will not cause you any discomfort. Instead, you can feel confident that you won’t need to worry about problems here at all. All you need to do is listen to different tones and beeps at particular volumes and frequencies. When you hear a beep you will click a button or raise your hand and your results will be plotted on an audiogram.

Understanding the results

The final part of your appointment is going to consist of your hearing care professional making sure that you are aware of what the results mean and how the hearing loss is impacting you. They will also take this time to recommend treatment options, which will usually be hearing aids. Be aware there are different types of hearing aids. They will go over these and make sure that you know all your options before you move forward with a treatment plan. To learn more about your hearing ability and treatment options, contact the team at The Hearing Guy by calling (828) 333-5781. We will be able to offer expert advice and support you need to hear better.