Effective verbal communication plays an essential role in maintaining social relationships and human society in general. When the ability to understand others begins to break down, it can be extremely isolating and scary. One of the advantages of living in modern society is access to appropriate technologies that can help. Those who are suffering from hearing loss, whether it is congenital or degenerative, can schedule Hearing Evaluations in Oklahoma City OK to help determine the cause and work with an audiologist toward finding a solution.
What many people who have difficulty hearing don’t realize is that the act of processing sound requires the ears to work in conjunction with the brain. This means that hearing loss is not always caused by the same underlying problem. While one person may have difficulty hearing due to blocked ear canals, another may experience an equal or greater amount of difficulty due to inner ear injuries, neurological issues, or other causes.
Hearing evaluations in Oklahoma City OK help to determine the underlying cause of partial or complete deafness. They typically consist of a few different examinations. First a doctor will perform an otoscopy, visually examining the outer ear, including the ear drum and ear canal. Next, a patient’s hearing will be tested. This typically involves isolating the patient in a sound-proof booth and using headphones to transmit sounds of different pitches and volumes.
Finally, a neurological test will be performed. Patients will be asked to repeat a word list back to the doctor, in order to evaluate whether or not their hearing issues are neurologically derived. Any information gathered from these evaluations will be shared with the patient, and used to help determine the best course of treatment. Often hearing aids will be recommended, and an be fit in the same office.
The audiologists and other professionals at Pro Hearing LLC can help patients determine the cause of their hearing loss, and work toward finding adequate solutions. No one should have to live in isolation due to an inability to hear. Regardless of how long the problem has persisted, it’s a good idea for anyone who is experiencing acute or chronic hearing problems to get in contact with an audiologist for an evaluation as soon as possible.
