There seems to be more misunderstanding when it pertains to hearing care than with most other medical specializations. We don’t need to ask, for example, what a dentist or eye doctor can do for us. But when it comes to our hearing, we’re oftentimes uncertain as to what action we should take or who we should visit.

So what exactly can a local hearing care professional do for you? Several things, in fact—things that could end up making your life better and more convenient.

Here are 6 services you should be familiar with.

1. Examination of hearing and balance

Hearing professionals are specially trained in evaluating hearing and balance. If you suspect hearing loss, balance issues, or experience ringing or buzzing in the ears, the local hearing specialist is the go-to expert.

By performing professional audiological assessments, hearing specialists can skillfully establish the cause of your hearing loss or balance problems. And if your hearing loss is brought about by an underlying medical problem, hearing specialists can prepare the appropriate referrals.

Additionally, If you have recurring ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus, many hearing specialists can furnish focused therapies.

2. Earwax removal

In some instances, what is thought to be hearing loss is nothing more than too much earwax buildup. While it’s not the most extravagant aspect of the job, hearing specialists are skilled in professional ear cleaning. If this is the cause of your hearing loss, you could start hearing better within a matter of minutes.

And keep in mind, it’s never safe to insert anything, including cotton swabs, into your ear canal at home. There are other proper ways you can clean your ears, such as with homemade solutions or ideally by arranging an appointment the hearing specialist.

3. Customized hearing protection

A great number of individuals make the mistake of first visiting the hearing specialist after they develop hearing loss. Don’t commit the same error. If you work in a loud career (for instance as a musician) or participate in loud activities (such as hunting), you should pick up custom ear protection to avoid future hearing loss.

You could just pick up some foam earplugs at the convenience store, but they’re generally uncomfortable and generate an bothersome muffled sound. Custom earplugs fit comfortably in your ear and maintain the sounds you want to hear while protecting against the sounds that bring about damage.

4. Professional hearing tests (audiometry)

Hearing loss is hidden, painless, and frequently hard to acknowledge or accept. The only method to get an accurate diagnosis is with the aid of a professional hearing assessment known as audiometry.

Using leading-edge equipment and practices, the hearing specialist can accurately diagnose hearing loss. Immediately after performing the testing, the final results are printed on a diagram known as an audiogram. Like a fingerprint, everyone’s hearing loss is a little different, which will be visually depicted on the audiogram.

If you can benefit from hearing aids, the audiogram will serve as the blueprint to programming and personalizing the technology.

5. Hearing aid selection and adjustment

Hearing aids are available in many styles, from numerous manufacturers, equipped with numerous features. Given that everyone’s hearing loss and preferences are different, this variety is necessary—but it does make things slightly overwhelming when you need to make a decision.

That’s where hearing specialists can help you. They’ll help you find the hearing aid that corresponds to your hearing loss while making sure that you don’t waste money on features you simply don’t care about or require.

As soon as you discover the right hearing aid, your hearing specialist will make use of your audiogram as the blueprint for personalization. That way, you’ll be sure that your hearing aid optimizes your hearing based on the sounds you specifically have trouble hearing.

6. A lifetime of healthy hearing

The health of your hearing should always be maintained as intensely as any other aspect of your health. We have primary care physicians, dentists, and optometrists that help safeguard several aspects of our health on a continuing basis.

Similarly, we should have a dedicated professional watching out for the health of our hearing. Your relationship with your hearing specialist shouldn’t conclude after your hearing test; it should be ongoing. Hearing specialists offer a variety of worthwhile life-long services, including hearing aid cleaning, upkeep, troubleshooting, and repair, together with advice and direction on the latest technology.

So although your hearing will inevitably change over time, your hearing specialist should not. If you commit to finding a local professional who cares about helping people over all else, you’ll enjoy the advantages of healthy hearing for life.