GeneralWhat is the Difference Between an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Specialist?

Have you or your loved ones ever suffered from hearing issues? The first thoughts that come to mind are whose door should we knock on: A Doctor or an ENT? An Audiologist or a Hearing aid Specialist?

Generally, we visit our doctor or an ENT specialist first. Most minor issues with the ear, like wax blockage and infection, will be dealt with in their clinic.

However, if the concern is greater and there’s a bigger reason behind hearing loss, you will have to go to a specialist.

Hence, comes the choice between the Audiologist and Hearing Aid Specialist.

To learn the difference between the two, let’s first check out what each of them does.

Audiologist

Before you ask Siri to look up ‘audiologist near me,’ read here and know who an Audiologist really is.

An Audiologist, like the best audiologist Los Angeles, is a diagnostician. He can conduct specialized tests to find out the reason or cause of the hearing loss. Their expertise can provide personalized solutions to improve your hearing health. They are committed to helping individuals overcome the challenges of hearing loss through comprehensive treatment and compassionate care. So, if you’re experiencing hearing issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional audiologist.

What Does an Audiologist Do?

Here’s what the Audiologist does:

• Assessing hearing and balance issues
• Providing treatment for the rare causes of hearing troubles
• Working with infants and special needs patients to help them with their hearing
• Diagnosing the cause of hearing and balancing issues.
• Prescribing medicines or hearing aids, if needed
• Treating the patients by fitting cochlear implants and helping them to rehabilitation centers for balance-related issues.

Hearing Aid Specialist

Now a Hearing Aid Specialist checks your hearing and advises suitable equipment to help you.

Hearing Aid Specialists are more like opticians.

They can’t give a diagnosis but can suggest the equipment or aid to make it better.

What Does a Hearing Aid Specialist Do?

A Hearing Aid Specialist, as the name suggests, can help you hear better.

Here’s what he can do for you:

• Basic tests; to know the extent of hearing loss
• Works with aged patients who have trouble hearing.
• Suggests the best hearing aid for you and your loved ones based on assessing the extent of hearing loss
• May also advise hearing aids for patients (who have been diagnosed and treated by an audiologist) with other reasons causing hearing loss
• Helps fit and set the hearing aid as suitable for each patient.

Who Should You Visit?

Now comes the big question: Whom to visit; the Audiologist or the Hearing Aid Specialist?

If your GP or ENT Specialist refers you for additional tests, you’ll have to see the Audiologist first.

The Audiologist will further carry out a series – or just a few needed – tests to know the underlying cause of hearing troubles.

The Audiologist is also better able to help children and special needs patients. For such patients, it’s often hard to take the preliminary tests with the GP. So the Audiologist can conduct other thorough, more personalized tests in accordance with the patient’s condition.

Whereas you can visit the Hearing Aid Specialist directly. You don’t need a reference or a prior opinion before going for the hearing aid.

However, the specialist would suggest you see an Audiologist first for a formal diagnosis if he feels there’s some underlying cause of the hearing loss.

So, it all depends on the conditions to decide who you need to visit. Sometimes the treatment ends with the Audiologist; other times, you may have to see both.

Conclusion

So if you or anyone you know is suffering from hearing issues or tinnitus, it’s easy to get confused about the right course of treatment. But instead of visiting doctor after doctor, it’s best to do your research first, so you know where to go.

We hope the article helped you understand the difference between an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Specialist.