The primary benefit of getting your hearing care from an audiologist rather than an over-the-counter option is the personalized care you receive. Your personal hearing needs will always be front and center with customized hearing aid settings and a long-term hearing wellness plan tailor-made for you.
Why Do I Need a Long-Term Hearing Wellness Plan?
Even with treatment, hearing loss will continue to progress. This means that the solutions that work today may not be what you need in a few years, and that’s normal! Knowing this, your audiologist will be diligent in monitoring changes in your hearing and making adjustments to your treatment as needed. Having a long-term view of your hearing loss treatment is critical for treating it effectively.
What Does Partnering with an Audiologist Look Like?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to hearing loss. Even though 15% of Americans have some degree of hearing loss, no two people experience hearing loss the same. Partnering with an audiologist for your hearing treatment journey means that you have access to expert guidance and personalized treatment every step of the way. Your audiologist can recommend hearing aid styles or features that may benefit you (or be unnecessary for your needs), as well as provide access to custom-fit earmolds or ear domes for a comfortable fit.
What Does a Long-Term Hearing Wellness Plan Entail?
Your audiologist will be an active participant in your wellness journey by regularly doing the following:
- Regular check-ups. Just like you have regular eye exams and physicals, so too should you have regular hearing check-ups. At these check-ups, we may re-test your hearing to look for changes and hear your comments on your recent hearing experiences.
- Professional device cleanings. Keeping your hearing aids clean is essential to ensuring they work properly and prolonging their lifespan. You should keep a regular hearing aid cleaning routine, but professional cleanings will also be necessary from time to time to reach those hard-to-get places with an audiologist’s specialized tools.
- Tuning your hearing aids. As your hearing loss progresses, you may need adjustments to your hearing aids (settings, listening programs, amplification levels, etc.) to keep up with your needs. We want to ensure that your devices never fall short of what you need to hear clearly.
Where Do I Start?
The first step in a long-term hearing wellness plan is a hearing test at our clinic. This will be the foundation on which we build your hearing profile and begin treatment. If you’re ready to take that step, call PDX ENT to schedule an appointment.
