Empowering hearing wellness Insights from an audiologist
June 28, 2023By: Caitlyn McKenney, AuD, CCC-A
Categories: ENT-Allergy Care
Hearing loss can affect people at any age. Hearing aids are a treatment that can assist individuals with hearing difficulties in their daily lives. Learn more about the function of hearing aids and the providers you can talk to for hearing loss treatment.
The uses of hearing aids
Hearing aids are commonly used to treat hearing loss in people who struggle to hear and understand speech in different environments. Hearing aids typically have a microphone, amplifier, speaker, battery and computer processor. Hearing aids are programmed based on your specific hearing loss, ensuring that certain sounds are amplified to levels that meet your needs.
Symptoms of hearing loss
Hearing loss can look different for every person. These can include:
- Chronic ear infections.
- Dizziness.
- Hearing loss is worse in one ear than the other.
- Persistent tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
- Sudden hearing loss.
- Vertigo.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, make an appointment with your primary care provider or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician. A referral may be required for an ENT or an audiologist.
Why should I see an audiologist about hearing aids?
Audiologists typically have a master of audiology or doctor of audiology (AuD) degrees that specializes in identifying, assessing and managing disorders of the hearing and balance systems for individuals of all ages. During your visit, your audiologist will evaluate your hearing loss symptoms and determine if you are a suitable candidate for prescription-based hearing aids. They are trained to understand and program various hearing loss aids, including cochlear implants, assistive listening devices and bone-anchored hearing aids.
