How to Prepare for your Appointment with An Audiologist

Scheduling an appointment with an audiologist is a significant first step to improving your hearing. It’s worth remembering that both you and your audiologist want the same outcome: an enhanced hearing experience for you.

Audiologists are healthcare professionals, just like doctors and physicians. With that in mind, they need to have detailed background information about you to offer the best solution that fully meets your needs. And that’s why you need to go fully-prepared for your audiologist appointment as their skills plus knowledge of your background helps them provide a solution that will give you the greatest chance of having much-improved hearing.

Here are a few pointers to help you prepare for your audiologist appointment.

Medication

Did you know that some medication could be the cause of your hearing loss? While it’s not a common cause, it’s one that people experiencing hearing loss should never rule out. Has your physician has prescribed some medication to treat any medical conditions?

If so, you should either make a note of the names and dosage or just bring them with you to your audiologist appointment. Your audiologist can check your medication and determine whether it’s a primary contributory factor to your hearing loss.

Medical history

You should also bring a copy of your medical records with you to your audiologist appointment. People with diabetes, for example, are twice as likely to experience hearing loss than those without the condition.

Heart disease can be another condition linked to hearing loss. If you have inadequate blood flow to your ears, it can eventually cause you to experience hearing loss. That’s why it’s essential to show the audiologist your medical records.

When you do so, it gives them a fuller picture of your medical history. The above are just two of many examples of medical conditions that can cause hearing loss – both in adults and children.

Work and leisure activities

If you work, what do you do for a living? And what do you like to do in your spare time? They might seem like odd questions for an audiologist to ask, but they’re valid ones. Why? The answer is simple: your work or the things you do could directly impact your hearing.

For example, if you work in a noisy environment, such as in a factory or using loud power tools, your work could be damaging your hearing. Also, lifestyle hobbies such as singing or even swimming could cause hearing loss. Your audiologist will want to learn more about your work and leisure activities to get a better picture of the things that could be contributing to your hearing loss.

Self-assessment

When you attend your audiologist appointment, you should note down in your mind or on paper the things you struggle to hear. You are the best judge of your hearing, and you’ll have a clear idea of what you find hard to hear and which sounds or pitches are okay. You may have trouble hearing people in loud social settings. Or your hearing loss may only be apparent whenever you talk to your young children or grandchildren. You may even only struggle to hear people when they’re not facing you.

Your audiologist will need to know what types of sounds or social situations are the most challenging for you. That way, you can receive a recommendation that will fully address your hearing loss.

Questions and concerns

Seeing an audiologist for the first time is undoubtedly a new experience for you and potentially an anxious one. You don’t know what tests might get performed on you or questions you’re likely to get asked. The thing is, audiologists are medical professionals. Their job is to help you significantly improve your hearing and find out what could be causing your hearing loss. They will also recommend hearing aids that are a close match to your needs.

You’ll have some questions and concerns, both about your visit and the hearing loss you are experiencing. That’s why it makes sense to make a list so you can ask those questions to the audiologist.

Ready to schedule an audiologist appointment?

At Gavin Audiology and Hearing Aids, we’re here to help you achieve your hearing goals. We have three locations in NY, each containing a friendly team of professionals and boasting the latest cutting-edge tools and technology. We will walk you through the steps of a hearing test and talk about any treatment recommendations we feel might be suitable for your needs.

When you’re ready to schedule an audiologist appointment, contact us today at (914) 610-3440.