Hearing Services
Testing Process
If you are experiencing hearing loss, schedule an appointment with a Mid-Kansas ENT physician or audiologist. At your appointment, the physician will determine the health of your hearing system. Sometimes medical treatment for ear infects can rule our serious causes of hearing loss.
Sometimes hearing loss is due to a build up of wax in the ear canal which prevents sound from reaching the eardrum. To have wax in the ear canal is a good thing. It keeps the canal healthy and moisturized and prevents debris and bugs from getting down the canal that may damage the eardrum. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. In this case, the canal becomes blocked causing a full feeling, hearing loss and sometimes pain. The most reliable way to get the canal cleaned is to have it done by an audiologist or ENT specialist.
After all other issues are ruled out a comprehensive audiometric evaluation will determine the severity and type of hearing loss. Your MKENT physician may recommend medical or surgical management. If the loss is not medically treatable and it is felt that amplification would benefit the patient, a Hearing Aid Evaluation (HAE) is recommended.
During the HAE, an interview with the patient and any family members present is done to determine the nature of the hearing problem. This helps us uncover the most handicapping symptoms so we can focus on improving or eliminating these to improve communication. Using the information from the interview, the preferences of the patient, and the hearing loss information, the best amplification option is chosen. All hearing aid options are available through our office and are reviewed with the patient.