On your first visit to Southern Tier Audiology, the hearing healthcare professional will work with you to understand your medical history, including your hearing experiences. This discussion is called a case history. As a next step, the audiologist will use an otoscope to look into the ear, checking for any blockages or wax in the ear canal. As a final step, a series of tests will be performed to determine if a hearing loss is present, the possible cause, whether the loss is conductive (middle or outer ear problem) or sensorineural (inner ear problem or central processing difficulty of the brain), and the degree of loss (one or both ears). After the evaluation, the audiologist will dedicate time to reviewing the results of the audiogram. He or she can interpret the outcomes, answer any questions, provide you with additional information, and begin discussing a treatment plan if a hearing loss is detected.
It is important to have a diagnostic evaluation as soon as hearing loss is suspected. This is the first step in identifying hearing loss and working with an audiologist to determine the best, individualized treatment options.
Audiologists are specialists in hearing and hearing rehabilitation. At Southern Tier Audiology, we encourage patients to ask questions to ensure that everyone understands the results of their diagnostic hearing evaluation and any treatment options presented.