I Don't Hear Well. What Should I Do? What Should I Expect?

Because some hearing problems can be medically corrected, first visit a physician who can refer you to an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist ). If you have ear pain, drainage, excess earwax, hearing loss in only one ear, sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, or dizziness, it is especially important that you see an otolaryngologist.

Will I Need a Hearing Aid for Each Ear?

Usually, if you have hearing loss in both ears, using two hearing aids is best. Listening in a noisy environment is difficult with amplification in one ear only, and it is more difficult to distinguish where sounds are coming from. If, however, the quality of hearing in one ear is very different from the other, one hearing aid may be better than two.

Is the Ringing in My Ears Normal?

Not at all. IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES, TINNITUS IS RELIEVED WHEN A PERSON WEARS HEARING AIDS. MORE THAT 70% OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TINNITUS HAVE A HEARING LOSS. Tinnitus is the name for these head noises, and they are very common. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this discomfort. Tinnitus may come and go, or you may be aware of a continuous sound. It can vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal or whine, and you may hear it in one or both ears. When the ringing is constant, it can be annoying and distracting. More than seven million people are afflicted so severely that they cannot lead normal lives.

Hearing loss is a medical disorder. In a limited number of patients, it can be surgically corrected; medical devices and rehabilitation can substantially reduce hearing loss in the vast majority of patients who cannot be helped by surgery. The medical specialists who diagnose and treat hearing disorders are called otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons, or more commonly, "ear, nose and throat doctors."