Why You Should See a Hearing Specialist Instead of a General Practitioner

Many people ask themselves the question: should I see a general practitioner or a hearing specialist? Understanding hearing requires complex training and skills that only an audiologist can provide. Let’s look further at why you should see a hearing specialist instead of your general practitioner.

What is a General Practitioner (GP)?

A general practitioner specializes in diagnosing and treating a range of common medical conditions. However, there are many times when a GP will need to refer a patient to someone else with specialist knowledge of a particular condition. In most cases, GPs will try to use preventative care for their patients.

In the case of hearing health, most often GPs will want to refer patients to an audiologist who has extensive knowledge of hearing health. The word general should be used as an indication that GPs often only have general knowledge in many areas of healthcare.

When You Should See a GP

General practitioners should be seen whenever you feel like your health has taken a turn. Many people go to GPs initially when they experience symptoms of hearing loss. It can be a great first step in receiving the care that you need.

Your GP will also be able to identify if your hearing loss is linked to any other medical conditions that may have caused it. If so, your GP may look at reevaluating treatment options. However, you will be referred to an audiologist for a hearing test to determine the best course of treatment, like hearing aids.

What is an Hearing Specialist?

A hearing specialist is someone trained, qualified and licensed to provide hearing health care. They specialize in hearing loss, diagnosing and treating hearing conditions. An audiologist will be able to use a variety of tests to see if you have hearing loss and what the cause is.

At this point, your audiologist will work to preserve the hearing you have left and improve your hearing by using treatments like hearing aids. Audiologists will also often remove earwax and treat tinnitus. If you have tinnitus your audiologist may suggest tinnitus masking along with hearing aids.

When Should I See an Audiologist?

If you have noticed a change in your hearing, an audiologist is the best person to get answers from. You can discuss the changes in your hearing, go through some tests and discuss the results. Your audiologist will be able to identify the cause of your hearing loss and recommend treatment for improving your hearing.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

There is a variety of symptoms when it comes to hearing loss. Some of the symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Difficulty hearing people speak and asking them to repeat themselves.
• Turning the volume up on music or the TV in an effort to hear properly.
• Inability to hear high pitch noises like women or children.
• Difficulty following conversations in crowded places.

These are some of the most common signs of hearing loss. Hearing loss can happen at any age, even though it is often associated with aging. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with an audiologist as soon as possible.

Does It Matter If I Go to a GP First?

General practitioners and audiologists often work in conjunction with each other when providing healthcare to patients. If you see an audiologist before a general practitioner, your audiologist will often pass on your test results to the GP, so your medical records are complete. Whoever you choose to see first, you can be sure an audiologist will evaluate your hearing and offer treatment where necessary.

Types of Treatment

The treatment offered by your audiologist will depend on the results of your test. For some people, it could be as simple as earwax removal to return to perfect hearing health. For others, a hearing aid may be recommended. If this is the case, your audiologist will explain their findings and how the hearing aid works. There are multiple styles of hearing aids, your audiologist will help you choose the right fit for your level of hearing loss.

You’ll also be shown how to care for your hearing aid so you can get the best results. Your hearing specialist will always aim to protect your remaining hearing ability in any treatments provided.

Finding an Audiologist

You don’t need a referral to make an appointment with an audiologist. It’s easy to make an appointment for yourself when you need one. If you need to schedule an appointment with an audiologist, you can contact Advanced Hearing Services at (970) 449-0592 today.