As of September 2021, about 60% of Canadians between the ages of 19 to 79 are experiencing hearing problems.
Is it a slight ringing in the ear, some aching, or outright hearing loss? Our hearing services can help you determine the best course of action for your hearing health.
If you think you may have recently damaged your hearing because of noise, an accident, or something else, you should see a hearing professional as soon as possible. They’ll help you find out how bad the damage is and talk about fixing or avoiding it.
Keep on reading for our breakdown of the help that hearing tests can provide.
Audiology Services: Detecting Hearing Problems
So, you’re worried that you’re experiencing hearing loss? Thankfully, a hearing healthcare provider can tell if you’ve hurt your hearing lately or not.
Hearing professionals are trained and licensed workers who look for, diagnose, and fix problems with hearing and balance. They use different tests and exams to figure out how much and what kind of hearing loss a person has. This can help them figure out if the hearing loss happened recently or has been going on for a long time.
Pure-tone audiometry is a popular test that hearing healthcare providers use to find out the softest sounds a person can hear at different frequencies. By comparing the data to known values, they can find out if hearing levels have changed recently.
Hearing professionals may also use other tests, like speaking audiometry and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing, to evaluate different parts of hearing function and determine if the auditory system has been damaged recently.
And, if you’re worried about setting up an appointment and going in person, you can take advantage of our mobile hearing test services at Ears To You.
The Differences Between an ENT and a Hearing Professional
An ENT is short for Ear, Nose, and Throat physician. They’re a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems with the ear, nose, throat, and other parts of the head and neck that are connected to them.
They have a lot of medical training and can treat a wide range of ear, nose, and throat problems, including hearing loss, with medicine and surgery.
On the other hand, hearing professional is trained to test, diagnose, and treat problems with hearing and balance.
A hearing professional specializes in testing, diagnosing and treating hearing loss and balance issues. They include Audiologists (who have either a Doctor of Audiology or a Master of Science in audiology) and Hearing Professionals, such as Hearing Instrument Practitioners (with specialized college diplomas, their titles vary by province). These hearing professionals are trained to provide hearing tests, dispense, clean and repair hearing aids, offer ongoing care, and focus on helping you hear and live better through non-surgical solutions.
At Ears to You, our hearing professionals deliver personalized care right to your doorstep. If your hearing test results show a medical concern, we’ll refer you to an ENT for further treatment.
When to Consult an Hearing Professional?
Since you’re reading this article, you should probably consult a hearing professional to set your mind at ease.
The same goes if you’re experiencing dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, or you have some family history of ear-related issues.
Tackling Hearing Problems
Whether you’ve been dealing with hearing problems your whole life or you’ve had an accident recently, you’re not alone. Audiology services can help you figure out the source of the issue and give you treatment options.
We hope that our short guide has given you a solid idea of your next course of action. Book an appointment online at Ears To You.
You can also call us directly if you’re looking for advice or have questions about our services.
