What Does an Audiologist Do?

An audiologist is a professional that specialized in hearing loss and balance problems. Audiologists are required to have extensive training and education in the field. In some cases, doctors will refer patients to audiologists if they think their problem is hearing related.

An audiologist is a health care professional that diagnoses, treats and manages hearing loss, along with balance disorders. Audiologists determine what caused the loss of hearing through interviews and test with the patients. Aside from diagnosing, audiologists must know how to fit hearing aids properly and teach the patient the proper usage of the hearing aids. They are also responsible for repairing hearing aids. With their treatment, audiologists teach how to prevent hearing from further degeneration. They must know how to work medical equipment that is beneficial to their work, such as an audiometer, which is used to measure what sounds the patient hears.

An audiologist must have at least a master's degree and pass a licensing exam, in order to pursue a career in the field. Some states require that an audiologist have a doctorate before working. It can take audiologists six to eight years of education and training before they can begin their career. Audiologists can work in a number of different environments. They can be found in hospitals, speech and hearing centers, or nursing homes. They work with all age groups, from children who have been without hearing since birth to older patients. They may also have to train new audiologists or those in graduate programs that need field training.