Many people are not sure what to expect when they first make an appointment with an audiologist. They wonder what they’ll be asked, what tests will be performed, and what will happen when it’s time to discuss treatment. At Gainesville Hearing Services, we want all patients to feel comfortable and prepared for their appointments, so we’ve outlined the basics of each visit below. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call our office today.
Part 1: Interview
In addition to your typical patient paperwork (name, address, insurance, etc.), we will also ask a series of questions designed to give us a baseline understanding of your hearing issues. Typical questions include:
- Is there a history of hearing loss in your family?
- Are you routinely exposed to loud noises during work or free time?
- Do you have any illnesses/conditions that may affect your hearing?
- Are you taking any medications that may affect your hearing?
- What types of situations present the greatest problem with hearing?
Part 2: Examination
After you complete the questionnaire, one of our hearing professionals will examine your ears with an otoscope, a handheld device that allows us to peer into the ear canal. This will help us find any obvious issues, such as a damaged eardrum or a buildup of wax. It will also allow us to gauge the overall health of your ears.
Part 3: Tests
Once the examination is finished, we will conduct a series of tests designed to measure your hearing response. Depending on the responses and observations from the first two parts, we will check your hearing with one or more evaluations. An audiometric pure tone gauges your response to tones at a variety of frequencies, while a speech evaluation determines how well you can hear and respond to spoken conversation. In some cases, we may even perform an immittance middle ear evaluation or tympanometry, in which we see how your eardrum reacts to varying degrees of pressure.
Part 4: Treatment
Depending on your test results, we may prescribe anything from hearing aids to surgery to speech therapy. Hearing aids are the most common form of treatment, as they come in a variety of styles and can treat most levels of hearing loss. Our experts will guide you through all available options to ensure that you find the perfect fit for your lifestyle.
If you feel as though you’re not hearing as well as you should be, running hearing loss diagnostics is the best way to evaluate your hearing level and map out the proper treatment. The professionals at Gainesville Hearing Services are skilled at all stages of the process and can help make testing and hearing aid fitting as painless as possible. Don’t go another day without the hearing you deserve–call Gainesville Hearing Services to schedule an appointment today.