Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D.
An audiologist is a specialist in hearing. They have studied for many years and are required to have a master’s degree or doctorate in the field of hearing. While they do not perform ear surgery, they are experts in diagnosing and finding solutions for children and adults that are experiencing hearing loss.
Audiologists examine, diagnose, and treat hearing loss and balance disorder. Most audiologists earn a doctor of audiology (AuD) degree, while others may earn a PhD or ScD in hearing and balance sciences. All audiologists are required to be licensed or registered in Florida, as well as throughout all of the United States. Many audiologists receive American Boards of Audiology certifications, and all are required to maintain continued education classes and programs.
REASONS TO SEE AN AUDIOLOGIST
If you are experiencing hearing loss, it’s important to seek a qualified audiologist, because they are trained to get you the best outcome and resolution for your specific issue. If you’ve noticed that it’s difficult to hear conversations in a noisy atmosphere, or you feel the need to adjust your television volume much higher than before, it’s vital for you to have your hearing checked.
Perhaps you or your loved one keeps asking for people to repeat themselves, or you can’t quite pick up where sounds are coming from; if this is the case, don’t wait until your hearing loss gets any worse, schedule your appointment as soon as you possibly can.
ADVANCED HEARING SOLUTIONS SERVICES
• Audiologic Evaluation
• Brain Fitness Programs
• Caption Call
• Ear Wax Removal
• Hearing Aid fitting
• Hearing Aid Repair
• Live Speech Mapping
• Tinnitus Treatment
HEARING AIDS
A wide range of technology and a host of features are available in each hearing aid style. The cost of hearing aids generally depends on the technology and the number of features the instrument has and not necessarily on the style selected. Today’s digital hearing aids are typically offered in various technology levels, such as basic, entry, advanced or premium level.
Basic digital hearing aids generally require the wearer to make some manual adjustments in certain listening environments, such as turning a volume control up or down, or pushing a button to change listening programs. In contrast, a premium or more advanced hearing aid responds automatically to changes in the listener’s environment, making changes based on the signals being detected by the hearing aid. The hearing aid wearer is not required to make any manual changes. As the level of the technology increases in hearing aids, so does the availability of advanced features.
ABOUT ADVANCED HEARING SOLUTIONS — Using the latest and most sophisticated technology, we determine if you have hearing loss–and, if you do, we determine the degree and type of hearing loss. If your hearing loss requires medical or surgical intervention, we can refer you to a physician (otologist or neurologist) for appropriate treatment. If your type of hearing loss can best be treated with the use of hearing aids and/or other assistive listening devices (which is true in the great majority of cases), we can select any of a wide range of hearing devices and custom fit them to your ear, programmed to augment your hearing at those frequency levels where your hearing loss is greatest.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
free Otoscopic Inspection
and Hearing Screening
Please contact us at 941-474-8393 for more information or to schedule your screening.
