What to Ask Your Doctor of Audiology About Hearing Loss

Aside from helping a wide range of people choose the hearing aids and other devices that best suit their needs, your hearing instrument specialist carries out a range of services, including providing hearing tests. As such, they will have a long history of experience in diagnosing and treating hearing loss. During your appointment, you can feel free to ask them any of these questions if you are having a hearing test or experiencing hearing loss.

Do I need a hearing test?

If you haven’t ever had a hearing test or haven’t had one in over a decade, the answer to this question is “yes.” Otherwise, if you are experiencing any changes to your hearing abilities that you can’t explain, you should arrange for a hearing test. If you are over 65, then a hearing test should be part of your annual physical, too.

What happens during a hearing test?

In all cases, a hearing test will start with questions about your hearing health and medical history. After a visual exam of the ear, you will be tested in a soundproof area. You will hear noises and speech at different volumes and frequencies and be asked to respond when you hear them.

Your responses will help the hearing instrument specialist complete an audiogram that will reveal if you have hearing loss and, if so, what level it is at. In some cases, additional tests such as an ear pressure test may be carried out, but these are dependent on what the specialist finds during their examinations.

Is my hearing loss caused by aging?  

There is a wide range of potential causes of hearing loss, and your hearing instrument specialist will be better able to answer this question directly. However, some of the causes that might be affecting you can include age (people over the age of 65 are more likely to experience hearing loss), exposure to excessive levels of noise, earwax blockages, the usage of certain medications, and more. There may be some cases that the specific cause of hearing loss cannot be confirmed, but your hearing instrument specialist can point out risk factors worth noting.

How do I protect my hearing?

Whether you experience hearing loss or not, there are various ways you can protect your hearing. The first is to avoid loud environments as best as possible, such as by making sure you’re not turning the music up too loud in your earphones.

Otherwise, if you spend time in loud environments, your hearing instrument specialist can recommend types of hearing protection, such as custom earplugs and earmuffs. Exposure to excessive levels of noise, such as power tools, construction machinery, loud vehicles, lawnmowers and fireworks, is the leading cause of hearing loss in younger people.

The answers to some of these questions will be specific and apply to you only as an individual. For that reason, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your hearing instrument specialists so that you can get the direct answers you need.