Your doctor may refer you to an audiologist for a hearing test, which includes:
- Looking in your ears with a special scope
- Wearing earphones and listening for words and tones
- Testing how your eardrums work
Your doctor may refer you to an ear specialist, called an otologist. The otologist will examine your ears, head and neck, and ask questions about:
- How long you’ve had trouble hearing
- How your hearing loss affects your daily life
- Any other symptoms such as ringing in your ears or dizziness
- Medications that you take
- History of noise exposure
- History of trauma
The otologist may refer you for imaging tests, such as a CT scan or MRI.
Hearing Loss Treatment
Treatment of hearing loss depends on the cause. Common treatments include:
- Removing earwax
- Taking an antibiotic for infection of the ears
- Surgery to address the cause of conductive hearing loss
- Wearing hearing aids
- Surgery for implantable hearing devices – cochlear implant or bone-anchored hearing implant
Preventing Hearing Loss
To help reduce your chance of developing hearing loss, you should:
- Avoid exposure to loud sounds
- Wear hearing protection in noisy situations
- Wear hearing protection when using lawnmowers and power tools
- Follow your doctor’s instructions for treating ear infections
Content was created using EBSCO’s Health Library. Edits to original content made by Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.