How Audiologists Help People with Sudden Hearing Loss

Your hearing is precious. Great hearing helps you enjoy the world around you. Sudden hearing loss can be frightening, and your audiologist can help. The Ear, Nose & Throat Consultants doctors provide comprehensive audiology services, including diagnosis and treatment of sudden hearing loss. They have several convenient office locations in Southfield, Novi, Livonia, St. Clair Shores, and Madison Heights, MI.

What You Need To Know About Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss can happen due to:

• Exposure to extremely loud sounds
• A ruptured eardrum due to an accident or injury
• Earwax buildup or a blockage in the ear
• A viral or sinus infection

An audiologist is an expert in diagnosing and treating sudden hearing loss. You should visit the audiologist if you are experiencing:

• Hearing only muffled speech or sounds
• Difficulty picking out words from background noise
• Needing people around you to speak more slowly or loudly
• Difficulty picking out consonants

The audiologist will begin with hearing testing to diagnose the cause and severity of your sudden hearing loss. Imaging studies may be recommended to determine if structural problems in your ears are causing it.

Depending on the cause and severity of your hearing loss, the audiologist may recommend:

• Antibiotics, if your sudden hearing loss is due to an infection
• Earwax removal: if your sudden hearing loss is due to a buildup of earwax
• Surgical treatment if your sudden hearing loss is due to a blockage

Your audiologist may also recommend hearing aids if your sudden hearing loss is permanent. Types of hearing aids your audiologist may recommend include:

• A CIC hearing aid fitting completely inside your ear canal
• An ITE hearing aid which fits over your outer ear and lower section of your ear
• A BTE hearing aid which hooks over the top section of your ear
• Cochlear implants, which take over the functions of the parts of your ear that aren’t working properly

Want To Know More About Audiology Services?

To learn more about how an audiologist can help with sudden hearing loss, call the Ear, Nose & Throat Consultants doctors. You can reach them in any of their locations in Southfield, Novi, Livonia, St. Clair Shores, and Madison Heights, MI, by calling (248) 569-5985, so call today.