Visit an ENT Before You See That Audiologist

What an ENT Can Do

People who experience problems with their hearing or their ears in general should immediately see an otolaryngologist, otherwise known as an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor. It is especially crucial to see that type of doctor if you believe you have lost hearing, especially if the loss was sudden. They can determine what is going on and recommend you to an audiologist later, if necessary.

An ENT doctor treats problems such as earwax buildup, sudden hearing loss or change in hearing, sinus pressure and headaches, hyperacusis (a condition in which normal sounds are painfully loud) and tinnitus or ringing of the ear. ENTs can also determine whether your hearing loss is connected to a specific medical issue.

If you have indeed suffered from hearing loss, the ENT doctor can diagnose you and schedule you for a hearing test with an audiologist. In some practices, a hearing test can be done at the ENT doctor’s offices. However, once you are diagnosed and tested, you will have to go see an audiologist afterward to be fitted for hearing devices if the doctor recommends you get them.

However, in some cases, hearing loss can come as a result of a different type of problem, one that can be corrected with surgery. An ENT doctor is also a surgeon and can perform a variety of surgical procedures in the ear tubes.

What an Audiologist Can Do

If it is discovered that you have to be fitted for a hearing aid, you will be recommended to an audiologist. An audiologist is the hearing care professional you should see if you mainly have problems of hearing loss, including a long term or gradual hearing loss, and if you have no known or determined medical conditions that could be associated with hearing loss.

An audiologist can recommend a specific type of hearing aid or assistive listening device for you or have you fitted for professional earplugs by taking moldings of the insides of your ears. They also offer assistance to patients for the maintenance of their hearing aids and make adjustments to them whenever necessary.

When you have hearing loss, the audiologist will also test your hearing on an annual basis. However, it is always wise to see your ENT doctor as well any time there are noticeable changes in your hearing.

To make an appointment to please see our contact information page HERE.

An ENT doctor treats problems such as earwax buildup, sudden hearing loss or change in hearing, sinus pressure and headaches, hyperacusis (a condition in which normal sounds are painfully loud) and tinnitus or ringing of the ear. ENTs can also determine whether your hearing loss is connected to a specific medical issue.

If you have indeed suffered from hearing loss, the ENT doctor can diagnose you and schedule you for a hearing test with an audiologist. In some practices, a hearing test can be done at the ENT doctor’s offices. However, once you are diagnosed and tested, you will have to go see an audiologist afterward to be fitted for hearing devices if the doctor recommends you get them.

However, in some cases, hearing loss can come as a result of a different type of problem, one that can be corrected with surgery. An ENT doctor is also a surgeon and can perform a variety of surgical procedures in the ear tubes.

What an Audiologist Can Do

If it is discovered that you have to be fitted for a hearing aid, you will be recommended to an audiologist. An audiologist is the hearing care professional you should see if you mainly have problems of hearing loss, including a long term or gradual hearing loss, and if you have no known or determined medical conditions that could be associated with hearing loss.

An audiologist can recommend a specific type of hearing aid or assistive listening device for you or have you fitted for professional earplugs by taking moldings of the insides of your ears. They also offer assistance to patients for the maintenance of their hearing aids and make adjustments to them whenever necessary.

When you have hearing loss, the audiologist will also test your hearing on an annual basis. However, it is always wise to see your ENT doctor as well any time there are noticeable changes in your hearing.

To make an appointment to please see our contact information page HERE.