What No One Tells You About Your First Hearing Appointment

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Booking a hearing appointment is a significant step in taking care of your health. Hearing loss is among the most common medical issues affecting older adults, but it is not limited to seniors. Among adults aged 45-54, 5% experience some form of hearing loss, and 10% of adults between the ages of 55 and 64 have hearing loss.

Acting early to get your hearing tested and invest in a hearing aid can help prevent worsening health outcomes. Untreated hearing loss can lead to increased mental strain and anxiety, increased risks of dementia, memory impairment, social isolation, and even loss of income due to challenges at work.

Going to an audiologist such as Toronto Hearing Consultants for a test will identify hearing loss and give you a treatment plan. This is what you need to know about how your first hearing appointment will go.

#1 You start with intake forms.

Before your audiology appointment, you will have to complete intake forms to help the audiology clinic. Intake forms typically ask for information such as insurance, medical history, any medications you are presently taking, and ear-related symptoms or a history of ear-related issues, even if you have not been to an audiologist about them before.

#2 You will be asked about your hearing concerns.

The audiologist will also want to have a verbal conversation with you about your hearing concerns. No two people have the same hearing concerns, even if their hearing test results are alike. The consultation element of your appointment provides essential context to help the audiologist understand your lifestyle needs and wants from a treatment plan.

#3 Your ears will be checked for earwax.

Some hearing issues are not permanent. Earwax buildup can muffle sounds or cause pain in your ear, dizziness, and ringing, and may prompt you to book an appointment with an audiologist. Earwax should be safely removed by a professional. They can manually remove earwax using safe, special instruments such as a cerumen spoon, forceps, and irrigation or suction devices.

#4 Your ears will be tested.

If a visual examination finds that wax is not the issue, your hearing will be tested more rigorously. Audiologists use a number of tests and tools to identify the location and severity of hearing loss in each ear. Loss can impact one ear but not the other or both.

The tests conducted by an audiologist include:

• Otoscopy
• Tympanometry
• Air conduction thresholds
• Bone conduction thresholds
• Speech testing

#5 You will discuss the results with your audiologist.

The results of your hearing test will be plotted on an audiogram that will be reviewed with you and the audiologist in the post-test consultation phase of your appointment. The audiologist will identify the location and severity of your hearing loss and suggest appropriate treatments that could include wearing a hearing aid.

An audiology clinic will also help you choose the right hearing aid for your hearing needs and your lifestyle. Modern hearing aids can be fashionable, chic, and subtle.