What Does An Audiologist Do?
Many people think that audiologist help people with hearing issues. And they’re right.
However, it’s not quite that straightforward. Audiologists do a lot more than that. There are a number of different hearing related things audiologists do. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that they don’t only help people with hearing.
Below, we’ll take a look at the question “what does an audiologist do?” so you know the full story. Well, maybe not the full story. But a to-the-point overview that stays clear of big fancy words and confusing medical jargon.
What Does an Audiologist Do?
Audiologists are best known for treating people who experience hearing loss. But there is more to the job description and what it is that audiologists actually do.
Audiologists treat anything that has to do with the ear. Hearing is a big part of that. However, it also involves balance issues, ear pain and tinnitus. Some audiologists will also diagnose and treat speech and language disorders.
It’s Not Just About Treatment
A lot of ear related issues can be caused by a number of different things. So an important part of what audiologists do is to take time to evaluate and diagnose ear problems.
This can involve things like getting the patient’s history, perform a physical evaluation of the ears and/or perform a range of hearing tests. Some common hearing tests that an audiologist may perform include:
- Pure tone test
- Bone conduction test
- Tympanometry
- Speech test
- Auditory Brainstem (ABR) test
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Test
Performing hearing tests like these will help an audiologist identify and diagnose the cause of hearing loss.
Treatments
Once they have identified what the issue is, audiologists can help with treatments. There are a number of different treatments available for every condition. After evaluating your situation, your audiologist will help you find the treatment options that are best for you.
Below are some of the common treatments that audiologists can help patients with.
Tinnitus Treatment
While there is no cure for tinnitus, there are a number of treatment options. These include hearing aids and medication. There are also FDA-approved therapies for tinnitus. Two common therapies are noise suppression and acoustic neural stimulation.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are one of the more common treatments that audiologists help patients with. They can prescribe hearing aids to patients. They’ll work with patients to select the best hearing aids for their situation.
They will also help fit the hearing aids properly. The audiologist will customize the hearing aids you get so they have the best fit and program them so you are able to hear as well as possible.
Audiologists will walk you through how to use your hearing aids, proper care and maintenance and perform any adjustments necessary.
If you need hearing aid repair or service, an audiologist can help you out with that as well.
Ear Wax Removal
Some hearing issues are due to a buildup of ear wax. Audiologists have advanced solutions to help safely remove ear wax from the ear canal.
Custom Hearing Protection
Not so much a treatment, but some audiologists will help people protect their hearing. This may be necessary for people who have a job or hobby that often expose them to loud noises. Some people who might use this service include swimmers, musicians, hunters and motorcyclists.
Speech Language Pathology
Some audiologists also work in the field of speech language pathology. They diagnose and treat
Speech and language disorders. They also specialize in treating social communication disorders as well as cognitive communication disorders.
Audiology Specialists
Some audiologists may specialize in a certain aspect of the field. For example, hearing aids or speech pathology.