How can I find out what kind of hearing loss I have?
Audiologists are individuals who have received extensive university training in hearing testing and hearing rehabilitation. A person must have at least a Master’s Degree in Audiology before they may call themselves an audiologist. Audiologists with a Doctoral Degree in Audiology have additional advanced training.
The audiologist can determine if the patient has a conductive hearing loss, a sensorineural loss, or a mixed loss. A conductive hearing loss involves problems with the outer ear or the middle ear.
Two common problems include excessive earwax in the ear canal, or fluid in the middle ear behind the eardrum. Conductive hearing problems may often be helped medically. A sensorineural loss involves damage to the microscopic hair cells in the inner ear. A sensorineural loss usually cannot be helped with medication or surgery. However, individuals with a sensorineural impairment can usually be helped with hearing aids. Finally, a mixed loss is a combination of a conductive loss and a sensorineural loss. It is very important that the hearing test be conducted by a competent audiologist, and that your physician be informed of the results.