Who is a competent hearing healthcare professional?

There are three licensed professionals who deal with hearing loss - an Audiologist, a Hearing Instrument Specialist, and a Physician.

In my opinion, the best professional to see first is a licensed audiologist. However, if your hearing loss was sudden or associated with pain, ear drainage, or dizziness, then you should immediately contact a physician.

The difference between an Audiologist, a Hearing Instrument Specialist and a Physician is:

Audiologist

• earns from an accredited university a Master or Doctorate degree in the hearing science called Audiology.
• stays abreast of new techniques and technology in the hearing industry with yearly continuing education.
• is qualified to evaluate your hearing not only for hearing aids but also to diagnose the nature and degree of your hearing loss in a medical environment.

You will find a licensed audiologist in private practice, like myself, or employed by hospitals, physicians, or community speech and hearing clinics.

Hearing Instrument Specialist

A Hearing Instrument Specialist is licensed when he/she completes a six month on-the-job training program and then passes a State exam.

The Hearing Instrument Specialist is not trained or licensed to perform a complete audiological examination. A Hearing Instrument Specialist is licensed only to test your hearing in order to sell and fit a hearing aid.

Physician

An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) physician is licensed to diagnose and treat ailments of the ear. Unfortunately the majority of Americans who suffer from hearing loss have a sensorineural type of impairment that is permanent and untreatable with medical intervention. If sensorineural hearing loss is the diagnosis then the physician's audiologist will counsel you on amplification.

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