Your hearing is essential. You might not realize this, but when your hearing disappears, you lose your connection to those around you. That's why you should trust only the most skilled experts when treating hearing loss; and we believe you should If you've ever wondered what we audiologists do on an average day, you've come to the right place. Here’s a breakdown of what we provide to our patients.
Hearing loss is a widespread condition, and it's more common than you think. It affects 1 in 5 Americans over 65, and that percentage is expected to grow. According to statistics published by the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, almost 30 million people in the United States have a hearing loss that affects their ability to understand everyday speech. Furthermore, 80% of those identified with a loss choose to not treat their hearing loss.
Your hearing is essential. You might not realize this, but when your hearing disappears, you lose your connection to those around you. That's why you should trust only the most skilled experts when treating hearing loss; and we believe you should go with an audiologist.
If you've ever wondered what we audiologists do on an average day, you've come to the right place. Here’s a breakdown of what we provide to our patients.
The training process to become an audiologist is rigorous and involved. It isn't something you can decide to do overnight. Before practicing and helping others, audiologists have to undergo formal training and extensive examinations. After earning a bachelor's degree, becoming an audiologist typically takes four years. A Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree, which takes four years to complete, is needed to become one. Before entering an AuD school, the majority of prospective audiologists have earned a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders. It is a much more rigorous process than you would have go through to become a hearing instrument specialist.
Hearing tests are designed to evaluate different aspects of your hearing abilities. We conduct a series of tests to determine whether you are experiencing hearing loss.
In the pure tone test, you will be asked to sit in a soundproof space, and we will play a series of different tones. You'll be asked to indicate when you hear a tone. We will also gauge how well you can hear and recognize speech and speech patterns at different volumes and distances. You'll also be asked to repeat what has just been said in a speech recognition test. This portion of the test is recorded as a percentage.
The results of your comprehensive hearing tests are recorded on an audiogram. Audiograms are a visualization of hearing abilities by ear. If a hearing loss is present, we will determine the type, degree, and configuration.
We professionally fit hearing aids from the world's leading hearing aid manufacturers. Treating hearing loss with hearing aids has never been easier. Research shows that individuals who treat their loss early gain substantial health rewards. If you have hearing loss, hearing aids can help you both now and in the future: they lessen the risk of cognitive decline; reduce mental fatigue and improve memory, attention, and focus; and have a positive effect on personal and work relationships.
Furthermore, working with an Audiologist that follows best practices (just like Dr. Novick does in her practice) is the key to a life-transforming hearing care experience. When you choose to work with Dr. Novick, you’ll receive Best Practice Audiological care including the gold-standard in hearing aid fitting, Real-Ear Measurements. Real-Ear Measurements assure that your hearing aid is programmed to receive the precise level of amplification required at every frequency to achieve your best listening experience possible.
Tinnitus is the experience of a ringing in the ears when there is no physical sound present. It's a common condition with no real cure, leading to severe depression if untreated. Fortunately, audiologists offer some treatments that can help tinnitus sufferers experience partial or total relief from this symptom of hearing loss, including sound therapy,
Misophonia is a medical condition that consists of an overwhelming emotional or cognitive reaction to specific sounds. Misophonia management can be challenging, primarily because little is known about it.
Similarly, Hyperacusis, also referred to as CIH (Central Hyperacusis) is a medical condition involving over sensitivity to sound. As such, it can make a person very uncomfortable when exposed to noise. With this disorder, you will find that you are more bothered by sounds than those around you are.
We do provide treatments that can provide some relief from both of these little-known conditions.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is often diagnosed in children who have difficulties understanding what they hear, especially in a noisy environment. These difficulties may include hearing certain tones, vowels or consonants, rhyming sounds, and syllables. If your child has APD, we offer ways to help them overcome their symptoms so that they can take turns more easily and speak back clearly.
Earwax is a wonder substance for our ears, but too much of it can be a real problem, and it can cause a lot of discomfort and even damage your ears if left untreated. If you've ever experienced the following symptoms: hearing loss, itching of the ear canal; ear pain; and dizziness, you may have an earwax blockage. If so, our audiologist is ready to provide professional ear wax removal in Los Gatos so you can live life comfortably again!
Now you know what an audiologist can do for you, we hope you're more likely to be comfortable talking to one. Contact us today to set up an appointment with our top-rated Audiologist, Dr. Marni Novick.
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