The Top Conditions an Audiologist Treats

Your audiologist is a medical professional who is able to identify, diagnose, and treat a range of conditions related to your ear, hearing and balance help. However, many may wonder exactly when it’s recommended to visit them. As such, we’re going to take a look at some of the most prevalent conditions they treat, as well as what they do in order to treat them.

Hearing loss

Hearing loss is the condition most commonly treated by audiologists. If a patient suspects they have hearing loss, the audiologist will complete a thorough examination. This includes finding information about the patient’s medical history and performing a visual examination of the ear using an otoscope to find any potential causes. Then, the patient will go through a hearing exam designed to find the limits of their hearing ability. If the patient has hearing loss, an audiologist can recommend treatments such as hearing aids and cochlear implants and provide plenty of information and advice for living with hearing loss and prevent it from exacerbating. Audiologists can also help patients choose hearing aids that best suit their needs and provide information on the care and use of the devices.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is, strictly speaking, not a condition but a symptom that presents as hearing noises, such as a ringing or hissing, that is not audible to other people. The causes of tinnitus are numerous, ranging from hearing loss to inner ear damage to middle ear infections and much more. There is no cure for tinnitus, but an audiologist can help patients find the method of managing the symptoms that work best for them. For instance, they can provide devices worn in the ear that produce a low-level noise in order to cancel out the tinnitus, helping improve a patient’s quality of life.

Earwax buildups

Everyone has earwax in their ears. It is produced naturally in order to help clean and shift dust, debris, and other material that could irritate, damage or infect the ear. However, some people produce more earwax than others due to a range of reasons, such as wearing hearing aids. This can lead to a buildup of earwax that blocks the ear, leading to temporary hearing loss as well as an increased risk of infection. Audiologists provide the safest way to clean your ears professional without risk of doing damage to the ar. Common methods used at home, such as using cotton buds or candling have been proven to be exceptionally risky. If you’re experiencing a buildup of earwax, it is recommended you have your ears professionally cleaned by an audiologist.

Balance and dizziness issues

Some audiologists are also experts in the diagnosis and treatment of dizziness and imbalance disorders, such as vertigo. In order to treat this, the team at EarTech Audiology, for instance, will perform a complete balance assessment. This includes taking a full medical history from the patient and completely physical examinations, which can include tests of reflexes and evaluation of posture, gait, and more. It can also include using ENG, Rotary Chair and MRI for site-of-lesion testing and CDP scanning for sensory, motor and brain adaptive impairment testing. These can all help the audiologist better understand the issue, which they can then treat with a process of vestibular and balance rehabilitation. The route of treatment for people experiencing balance and dizziness issues varies widely from individual to individual, so going through the testing process is essential.

Pediatric audiology

As well as treating all of the conditions mentioned above, some audiologists are also certified to treat children who show signs of hearing loss or other hearing issues. At EarTech Audiology, we have pediatric audiologists on the team who can help investigate the issue in newborns, infants and children. This includes newborn hearing screenings, hearing tests, visual examinations and more. A hearing screening may also be able to identify underlying health conditions that may be treated by our team. We devise a recommended treatment plan for every individual, ensuring that you have a plan on how to help improve your child’s ear and hearing health.

Do you need the help of an audiologist?

If you experience any of the conditions above, then an audiologist should be able to help you, but it’s important you choose the right one. Different practices specialize in treating different conditions. To learn more about how we can help you with your specific condition, get in touch with EarTech Audiology today. You can call our Irmo office at 803-749-6017, or reach us at (866) 464-1008 to speak to our Orangeburg and Santee team.