If you think that you might be experiencing hearing loss, it can be difficult to know which professional to go to. A person you might want to see is a hearing health professional. Hearing health professionals are individuals who have undergone training to understand the auditory system – the experience of hearing health professionals can vary.
What you want to know, is how a hearing health professional can help you. Let’s take a look.
Discover whether you have hearing loss
Knowing whether you have hearing loss or not can be a challenge. The problem with losing your hearing is that it often occurs over a long period. So slowly, in fact, that the patient does not easily detect it.
The great thing about hearing health specialists is that they have tools that allow them to measure your hearing. They can accurately assess the state of your hearing loss and give you an idea of how your hearing issues progress between consultations.
Tell you the type of hearing loss you have
Hearing loss comes in a variety of forms. One of the most common is age-related hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss occurs when the tissues that form the sensing parts of the ear begin to deteriorate because of the aging process.
Another cause of hearing loss is trauma-induced. Injuries can damage certain delicate parts of the ear, making it harder to hear or leading to temporary deafness.
Choose an appropriate hearing aid
Hearing aids come in all shapes and sizes. Some fit inside the ear with no visible external components while others sit behind the ear with real buttons on the outside.
The hearing aid you choose very much depends on the degree of hearing loss you have and your lifestyle. A hearing health professional can take you through the options open to you and help you select the right devices for your life circumstances.
Different hearing aids function differently. You might want to hook your hearing aid up to your devices using the internet and Bluetooth. If so, you’ll need these features. You may also want a hearing aid that dynamically changes settings according to your sound environment. Again, you’ll need to speak with a trained hearing health professional about your options.
Improve your use of your hearing aid
Buying a hearing aid is one thing, but using, maintaining and calibrating it is quite another. Hearing health specialists have a wealth of knowledge to help you get the most from your hearing aid, whether it’s changing the battery or adjusting the settings. Hearing specialists can modify your hearing aid to reflect changes in your hearing over time.