Audiology Consultation Specialist
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Sharp Hearing Care Professionals
Audiology located in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Tarzana, CA
If you’re worried about your hearing, it’s time to schedule an audiology consultation to have your hearing evaluated and get the information you need to decide on improving your hearing. As an experienced audiologist, Kevin Sharim, at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals offers comprehensive hearing assessments at four convenient locations in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Tarzana, and Santa Monica, California. To schedule your audiology consultation, call one of the offices, or request an appointment online.
Audiology Consultation Q & A
What signs indicate I need an audiology consultation?
The purpose of an audiology consultation is to determine if you have hearing loss, the extent of the problem, and whether you need assistive listening devices or a hearing aid. Hearing loss often develops so gradually that most patients aren’t aware their hearing has declined. You should consider scheduling an audiology consultation when you:
- Struggle to hear soft speech
- Can’t hear due to background noise
- Can’t follow conversations
- Feel some pressure in your ear
- Have ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
- Can’t hear high-pitched sounds
You may also notice that you frequently ask people to repeat what they just said because you didn’t quite hear it.
What happens during an audiology consultation?
Your audiology consultation begins with a thorough review of your medical and hearing history. Your audiologist at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals may ask about your exposure to loud noise, medications that may affect your hearing, past surgeries, and family members who have hearing problems.
Your audiologist then visually inspects your outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum, looking for signs of damage, infection, or excessive earwax. For the next step, your audiologist tests your hearing.
The audiological tests you may receive include:
- Tympanometry
- Pure tone audiometry
- Speech audiometry
- Auditory brainstem response
- Otoacoustic emission testing
- Transtympanic electrocochleography
- Threshold-equalizing noise test
The results of your tests show if you have hearing loss, the degree of hearing loss, sensory receptor function in your ear, or if you have certain diseases that could be causing your hearing loss.
What happens when my audiology consultation is finished?
Your audiologist at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals finishes all the basic hearing tests during your first appointment. If you need additional testing to determine the source of your hearing problem, you may need to schedule a second consultation.
After all of your diagnostic tests are finished, your audiologist at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals talks with you about the results and develops a customized treatment plan that meets your needs. Patients who have hearing loss may need medical care for an underlying condition, assistive technologies, or a hearing aid.
If you notice your hearing has changed, call Sharp Hearing Care Professionals or request an appointment online.
