When it comes to making an appointment with any health professional, preparation is always key, especially if you are meeting them for the first time. Whether you are seeing an audiologist or you are heading to the optician, you need to consider the details ahead of time that you would like to discuss with them.
You want to know that you can leave that appointment 100% comfortable and understanding exactly what’s going on with your hearing. Given that hearing is an incredibly important sense, you need to be able to ask your questions and get the answers. So, here’s how you can make the most of your next appointment with your audiologist.
Be Ready to Talk About Your Medical History
You will be the only person in your life who is as well versed on your health as anybody else. If you’ve had any previous conditions, it’s something that your audiologist will benefit from seeing. Gather any pertinent information pertaining to your health and bring it with you to discuss with your hearing specialist.
Bring a List of Medications
Do you take medications? Currently there are some drugs, such as those for anxiety, that can cause hearing loss as a side effect of them, and they are listed in the instructions in the box. Your medical records should have a list of all those medicines, but if you know what they are, you should bring a list of them so that you can ask your audiologist if these are the ones that are affecting your hearing.
Research What a Hearing Test Entails
Preparing for a visit to a hearing specialist is much easier when you do your own research at home. If you know that you will be having a hearing test, consider doing some research to find out what it actually involves. Familiarizing yourself with the components of a hearing test, such as audiometric evaluations and speech recognition assessments, can help alleviate any apprehension or uncertainty. Additionally, understanding the types of questions your hearing specialist might ask about your lifestyle, exposure to loud noises, and any specific hearing concerns can empower you to provide comprehensive and relevant information during the appointment.
Schedule Enough Time for Your Appointment
Your initial appointment may last longer than expected because they should be very thorough with you. There will be a lot to take in and you might have some questions to ask and you don’t want to feel rushed with it. After your hearing tests are completed, the audiologist will want to discuss the results with you. If you do have hearing loss, they will also talk about your treatment options, typically hearing aids. There will be a number of different styles and models to choose from, so it’s important to have a detailed understanding of your choices.
Consider What You Need
What’s more important to you? When you speak to an audiologist, do you want to know about hearing aids, or do you want to know the extent of your hearing loss? Of course, the answer to this will usually be both, so make sure you think about the times you’ve had the most trouble with your hearing so that you can discuss these in more detail and learn how to make yourself much more comfortable as a result.
Bring a List of Questions
What questions could you be asking your audiologist to ensure that you have an all-round experience that gives you the answers that you need? Writing down a list of things you’d like to know ahead of time will help, because in the moment it’s very easy to forget. You’ll be able to get the most out of any knowledge and advice that they have to offer and there will be a lot of new information to consider, so don’t be afraid to write these things down.
Take Somebody with You
Two heads are always better than one, and if there are any questions that you forget to ask. Your friend or family member will be able to jump in and ask them for you. Having somebody with you is also going to help you to feel more supported and as if you can get as much information as possible without skipping anything. It’s going to be quite overwhelming if you have hearing loss, so make sure that you feel like you have somebody to turn to afterwards.
Visiting a hearing specialist is the first step towards better hearing! The team at Kirsch Audiology is ready to help you understand your options, just give us a call at 310-586-5533 to get started!
