If you’re experiencing trouble hearing in Tucson, you are hardly alone: hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in Arizona and throughout the United States, after arthritis and heart disease. It affects an estimated 48 million people of all ages. Coping with a hearing loss is challenging, but with the right treatment, you can enjoy a good quality of life and continue to participate in your favorite activities.
Our 4-Step Process
Arizona Hearing Specialists has been helping Tucson residents hear better since 1981. Our commitment to providing personalized care has earned us a reputation for solving hearing problems in patients of all ages. To accomplish this, our experienced Doctors of Audiology have developed a 4-step process designed to address your hearing concerns and find a treatment plan that is just right for you. Our process involves the following steps:
- Hearing, Health Assessment, and Family History. We will review your general medical history. Learning about any medical issues you have dealt with in the past will allow us to understand their potential impact on your hearing ability.
- Assess Your Listening Needs. We will assess your listening lifestyle to help us determine whether you are primarily exposed to quiet or more varied listening environments. We will also discuss your specific communication needs and identify situations where you would like to improve your hearing abilities.
- Examination and Diagnostic Evaluation. Your audiologist will conduct an examination of your ears and administer a battery of audiometric tests to assess your hearing ability and identify the areas that may be affecting your speech comprehension.
- Results and Personalized Treatment Plan. We will thoroughly review your hearing evaluation results and how they may be affecting your communication abilities. Treatment solutions will be made based on your specific needs and lifestyle.
Your Hearing Evaluation
The hearing evaluation (step 3) is one of the most important parts of our process. Determining the type and degree of your hearing loss, and which frequencies are affected, is key in coming up with an effective treatment solution. Your hearing evaluation typically involves three separate tests:
- Pure tone testing is used to determine the faintest tones you can hear over a range of pitches. A series of tones will be played through specially designed earphones. You will be instructed to raise your hand every time you hear a tone.
- Speech testing measures how well you hear and understand speech. A series of words will be read aloud to you and you will be instructed to repeat the words back to the tester.
- Immittance testing is used to see how well the middle ear, eardrum and Eustachian tubes are functioning. A burst of air is pushed into the ear canal and the eardrum’s reaction is measured.
We treat more than just hearing loss in Tucson. Additional hearing services include treatment for tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and customized ear protection for hearing aids, headphones, and hunting and swimming plugs. Contact us today for more information on any of our hearing services.