At our hearing health center in Ormond, we offer complimentary hearing screenings to the community to help you determine whether an abnormality exists, and whether further testing is necessary. We also offer comprehensive diagnostic hearing evaluations to diagnose the cause of your hearing loss, and diagnostic hearing evaluations are covered by Medicare and most insurers. You should consider appointments with us to keep your hearing healthy as a preventative care tool, just like other wellness checks such as cancer screenings and dental check-ups. Hearing health is strongly connected to overall brain health as we age, so it is very important to have your hearing evaluated as soon as you notice a change. Or even before!
These screenings will include otoscopic examination and a check of several frequencies to determine if your hearing is normal or abnormal. If there is an abnormality, a comprehensive audiological evaluation will be recommended to determine a diagnosis. We suggest that people of all ages get a baseline measurement of their hearing loss early. If you already wear hearing aids, we can adjust them if your hearing evaluation shows that there is a change in your hearing that would affect the prescription in your hearing aids. As always, we can service and repair most brands of hearing aids unless they have a proprietary lock.
Because Dr. Alverez is a licensed audiologist with an advanced doctoral degrees, Ormond Hearing Center can assess and treat conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss, as well as tinnitus. Tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears, is a challenging issue that is usually but not always related to hearing loss. 45 million Americans have tinnitus; we can help you with a custom treatment plan to help manage this issue and improve your quality of life.
We recommend that you have your hearing evaluated at least once a year, or even sooner if you notice a change in your hearing ability or experience abnormal auditory symptoms like tinnitus or dizziness. As audiologists we are responsible for helping you maintain your hearing wellness and will help monitor any changes over time. Did you know that 1/3 of Americans between ages 65 and 74 and almost half of those over age 75 have hearing loss? You are not alone and taking care of your hearing loss early means you will be able to maintain your quality of life longer.
Thorough Hearing Tests
Our hearing assessments can include the following:
- The ear canal will be inspected for wax or debris with an otoscope and you will have the option to see your ear canal on the TV screen.
- The eardrum is visualized and tested with a quick, painless pressure test to determine the function of the eardrum and the middle ear.
- The reflexes present in the middle ear and brainstem will be analyzed to determine their degree of function.
- The health of the outer hair cells will be diagnosed with an otoacoustic emissions test.
- You will be asked to respond to soft tones, repeat soft words, repeat loud words, and discern speech in quiet and in the presence of background noise.
- Your results will be evaluated and reviewed with you and shared with your permission with your primary care provider for their records.
- We will review all treatment options (including hearing aids if appropriate) and help you choose a treatment plan that aligns with your needs, your lifestyle and your budget.
- If you already wear hearing devices, we will test your hearing aids to ensure they fit appropriately and that the prescription is accurate for both ears.