Scheduling an appointment with an audiologist is an essential part of maintaining your overall health and wellbeing. When your ears work properly, everything else will follow suit. However, it is common for people to take their oral health for granted, which is why visiting an audiologist isn’t always at the top of your list.
A direct knock-on effect of this is that you won’t know how to prepare for your appointment. If that is making you a little nervous, please don’t be worried. At The Hearing Doctors, it’s our job to ensure everything goes smoothly. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the steps you can take before you see an audiologist.
Both you and they want the same thing, so by working in tandem, you can help guarantee your health remains at a high level. With that in mind, here are four tips to consider before your audiology meeting.
Write down lifestyle information
An audiologist focuses on improving your hearing, yet that doesn’t mean they only want to concentrate on the ears. Understanding your lifestyle gives them a bigger picture, enabling them to tailor the treatment options to your specifications. For example, telling an expert what medication you use could result in better hearing.
Why? It’s because certain drugs can lead to hearing loss. Alternatively, conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are synonymous with poor ear health, too. You can compile the information you require by writing down any medications you are taking or have taken in the past.
Of course, it might be easier to get a copy of your medical records and pass it on to the audiologist as your records contain everything relating to your previous and current treatment. With this data, an audiologist can glean what they need to without invasive questions.
Don’t forget about the small details
The stuff that you believe to be insignificant could be useful to an audiologist. This is because the smallest details might be evidence of the root cause of hearing loss. A prime example is turning the volume to high levels on the TV. Although you think it’s nothing, it shows that your ears don’t pick up the sounds very well.
Struggling to participate in a conversation is another instance that you shouldn’t dismiss out of hand. Not only is it an issue relating to hearing loss, but it also has social impacts. For instance, people who can’t talk confidently on the phone or in groups will avoid their friends and loved ones.
As soon as this happens, you might experience feelings of loneliness because you are cut off from your support group. Your audiologist can help you with this, yet you must be honest concerning the fine print.
Research hearing aids
A hearing aid isn’t a sign that you’re getting old and losing your marbles! Plenty of people in different age ranges require assistive tools for a variety of reasons. Accepting that aids could transform your lifestyle is the first part of the problem. Still, you need to be able to ask questions regarding the equipment on offer.
After all, there are tons of tools that can improve your hearing. Yes, it’s vital to listen to the audiologist’s advice and be open to the options. However, you will benefit from having a basic understanding of the technology since it will encourage you to pick your audiologist’s brain about which one you should pick and why.
For example, you can ask which aid is best out of the three main categories – in the ear, behind the ear, and in the canal. There’s no need to get carried away and let your imagination run wild. Instead, just research the options and remember the features and technology you want to learn more about.
Talk to your insurance provider
While insurance coverage for hearing healthcare still varies from state to state, more companies are offering assistance for hearing tests. To determine if you qualify for any coverage from your insurance company, talk to them about eligible providers under your plan. Don’t forget to ask what services are included so you can plan ahead.
Learn more about The Hearing Doctors
At The Hearing Doctors, we put your wellbeing first. So, if you are experiencing hearing loss and want to do something about it, please contact us right away at (630) 315-2899. Our trained and qualified assistants will highlight your options and make an appointment at your convenience.
