What Happens at an Audiology Appointment?
Your Case History First
An Audiologist Bristol audiologist begins by collecting some information regarding your hearing history. He or she will ask about any current or past problems you’ve had with your hearing, as well as any symptoms you may have (e.g. tinnitus or balance problems) and your general way of life. It is extremely helpful to provide as much detail as possible regarding when you experience any hearing problems.
A Look Inside Your Ears
An otoscope is used to look down your ear canals and at your eardrums for signs of wax blockage, infection or damage. Tympanometry is also used at some audiology clinics to look at how your eardrums move when subjected to varying amounts of air pressure. This can highlight the presence of fluid or a blockage behind the eardrum.
Pure-Tone Audiometry
Pure-Tone Audiometry: You will be asked to put on a set of headphones and will be tested with pure tones of different frequencies and volumes. Each time you hear a tone you will press a button. The results of this test are plotted on a graph to form an ‘ audiogram’ which plots the lowest volumes at which you can hear different frequencies. This enables us to determine the degree and type of any hearing loss that you may have.
Speech-in-Noise Testing
A speech test will be completed where you are asked to repeat words and/or sentences either in silence or in background noise. This assesses how you cope with listening in difficult situations and how you would perform in everyday situations.
Audiologist Bristol is covered in more detail at //www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/bristol/. The audiologists work to the same standards as a registered hearing aid audiologist.
Results and Next Steps
At the end of your audiology appointment the audiologist will explain your results to you there and then, outlining the possible solutions for any aspects of your hearing and whether these could be addressed with hearing aids, removal of wax, etc. Alternatively you may be referred to another health care professional.
By preparing for your appointment you can get the most from your conversation with the audiologist and focus on your specific hearing needs rather than wondering what is going to happen next.
