Audiologist vs ENT: Who Should You Visit for Hearing Problems? – Hearing issues are something that we do not notice or ignore until and unless it starts getting worse. When the condition starts affecting our daily life we get more and more conscious about it and start looking for a solution and cure. These conditions can be of many types such as difficulty in hearing conversations, ringing in the ears, or frequent ear infections and many more. The hearing is directly related to the sensory organ and one of the most delicate parts of the body and any minor misconduct can cause serious situations such as permanent loss of hearing abilities. So for the treatment of such conditions we might seek help from professional experts like Audiologies or an ENT specialist. Both specialists play a very important role in the treatment of hearing issues, but their fields of expertise are completely different. So to get a better treatment it becomes very important to understand their expertise and visit them accordingly.
Here in this blog we will discuss about Audiologist vs ENT: Who Should You Visit for Hearing Problems which will surely increase you knowledge and help you get a proper treatment for your hearing problem
Who Is an Audiologist?
An audiologist is a healthcare professional who specializes in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of hearing and balance disorders. They are not medical doctors, but they do have advanced degrees (most commonly a Doctor of Audiology – Au.D.) and have been trained extensively in hearing science and therapy.
What are the expertise and what an audiologist actually do :
The main focus of an audiologist are on the following conditions:
- Hearing tests & evaluations
- Hearing aid fitting and programming
- Management of age-related hearing loss
- Tinnitus assessment and therapy
- Balance tests (for dizziness or vertigo)
- Newborn hearing screenings
- Counselling for hearing rehabilitation
Who Is an ENT Specialist?
An ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialist or an Otolaryngologist is a medical doctor with medical degrees such as MBBS + MS/MD, who diagnoses and cures diseases of the head and neck region. Special focus on delicate organs such as the Ear, Nose and Throat.
What are the expertise and what an ENT actually do :
The main focus of an ENT are on the following conditions:
- Ear infections such as otitis media, otitis externa
- Hearing loss due to medical conditions
- Ear pain or discharge
- Perforated eardrum
- Sinus problems
- Thyroid and tonsil diseases
- Surgery of ear diseases
When Should You See an Audiologist?
You need to see an audiologist if you are experiencing any of the following conditions,
Progressive hearing loss
An audiologist can do a full hearing test and advise on proper hearing aids or treatment if the hearing problem goes down gradually for example with aging.
Difficulty understanding speech
In case you hear sounds but have difficulty in understanding words especially in the presence of noise, an audiologist can check speech understanding and auditory processing through testing.
Long-lasting tinnitus (ringing in ears)
An audiologist can provide the following tinnitus treatment methods: tinnitus management is the specialist area of audiologists, offering:
- Sound therapy
- Support
- Habituation therapy
- Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
Balance or vertigo issues
In case it is trussed that your balance problems are due to the inner-ear, an audiologist can perform tests like:
- VNG
- VEMP
- Audiometry
Hearing aid needs
Counting only audiologists, who have the capability to do it, these tasks are:
- Threshold hearing test
- Hearing aid fitting
- Programming tailoring
- Support provision over time
Hearing tests for newborns or schools
The hearing tests that are performed by audiologists on infants and children are:
- OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions)
- BERA</p
When Should You Visit an ENT Specialist?
You need to visit an ENT Specialist in case of the following conditions:
Ear pain or ear infections
Infections that are painful or inflamed need to be treated with medicines such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, or ear drops.
Sudden hearing loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a situation that requires emergency intervention. If help is sought early, the hearing may be restored with the right treatment.
Ear discharge or smelly fluid
It could be caused by an infection or even a serious disease such as cholesteatoma.
Ringing or buzzing combined with dizziness
When tinnitus is accompanied by vertigo, an ENT doctor can diagnose Meniere’s disease or other inner ear disorders.
Eardrum perforation
The rupture of the eardrum due to trauma, injury, or chronic infection is the most common case of medical or surgical treatment to heal the hole in the eardrum.
Obstruction in the ear
This obstruction can be caused by :
- Wax impaction in the ear
- Small pieces of plastic, stones, or other materials that accidentally enter your ear
- Swelling
An ENT will be able to remove them without hurting you.
Need for surgery
The example of diseases or problems that can lead to a surgery are:
- Mastoiditis
- Tumors
- Stapedectomy
- Cochlear implant
Should You Visit an Audiologist First or an ENT First?
In case hearing loss is your main concern, it is a proper decision to first see an audiologist. They carry out comprehensive hearing tests to figure out whether the hearing loss is due to aging, noise exposure, or damage to the inner ear. When a problem is identified that needs medical or surgical treatment, the audiologist will send you to an ENT.
On the other hand, if you have ear pain, discharge, sudden hearing loss, vertigo with nausea, or infections, it is better to see an ENT specialist first. The ENT specialists diagnose and treat illnesses of the ear and can prescribe medicines or perform a procedure if the situation requires.
Then, when you are uncertain about it, it is considered as the best option to start with an audiologist to be able to quickly figure out the cause and get the proper treatment.
Conclusion
If your hearing becomes impaired, it can lower your ability to communicate, your confidence, and even your overall quality of life. The type of doctor you should see, either an audiologist or an ENT, mainly depends on your symptoms:
Audiologist: Hearing loss, tinnitus, balance testing, hearing aids.
ENT: Pain, infections, sudden hearing loss, surgery, ear discharge.
In case you have any hearing issues, it is very important that you do not postpone your visit to the doctor. The very first diagnosis is the key to the best outcomes – whether it is through hearing rehabilitation or medical treatment. The above blog on Audiologist vs ENT: Who Should You Visit for Hearing Problems? Explains the difference of the both specialists and which one we should consult for our hearing discomforts.
