If you are experiencing hearing loss or other ear-related health issues, you may decide that you need to seek medical advice. But a lot of people do not know whether they should see an audiologist or an ENT doctor. Although there are some similarities between the work of an audiologist and an ear, nose and throat doctor, they both perform different treatments and have a different area of expertise, so it is important that you know which is right for your situation.
So, what is the difference between an audiologist and an ENT doctor? An audiologist is a doctor that is a hearing healthcare professional that specializes in identifying, diagnosing, and treating issues with the auditory and vestibular areas of the ear.
They most commonly deal with things like hearing loss, tinnitus or balance issues. Their expertise is in the technology that is used to manage these conditions. For example, if you need hearing aids fitted to manage your hearing loss, an audiologist will be able to advise you on this.
They also play a wider role in helping people with hearing loss. It can be very difficult for people that experience late-life hearing loss to adjust and cope with their condition. An audiologist will be able to help them with practical things like buying phones that are compatible with their hearing aids, for example.
An audiologist cannot perform surgeries and cannot prescribe drugs. What they can do, however, is remove deposits of earwax which can cause hearing loss. They can help to keep your ears clean, carry out tests of the ear canal, eardrum and inner ear and of course, they can help you to find a hearing aid that helps to mitigate the effects of your hearing loss.
It is, however, possible that an audiologist may determine that your hearing loss is the symptom of a much bigger problem for which they may need to refer you to an ENT specialist. Usually, either your doctor or your audiologist will refer you to an ENT professional. They will be able to carry out further testing if your audiologist is unable to determine the cause of your hearing loss, or if the cause is beyond their capability to treat.
Most cases of hearing loss are slow and incremental which makes them difficult to notice. Therefore, if you experience a sudden and profound loss of hearing , you will need to make an appointment with an ENT doctor to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. An ENT doctor will be able to carry out more comprehensive tests than an audiologist and will also be able to prescribe pharmaceutical treatments or perform surgery if your hearing loss is caused by calcified bones or benign tumors.
A helpful way to remember the distinction between an audiologist and an ENT is to think of an audiologist as a hearing specialist. If it pertains to hearing trouble they should be your first port of call. Jeffrey A. Livingston, M. Matthew C. Jepsen, M. What is an ENT doctor? What is an audiologist? What are the key differences between ENT doctors and audiologists? The most significant differences between these two roles include: Scope: The scope of the role is different for audiologists and ENT doctors.
Audiologists are focused on treating and assisting individuals who experience hearing loss, while ENT specialists see a wider range of patients. ENT is a diverse field, and doctors can see clients with an array of different symptoms and conditions in a single day.
ENT doctors see patients with problems that affect the ears, nose and throat, as well as other parts of the head and neck. Training: Both ENT doctors and audiologists undertake advanced training to enable them to provide expert advice and treatment. ENT doctors complete medical training before choosing to focus on their specialty area. Audiologists focus on hearing loss and issues linked to impaired hearing, and many have post-graduate and doctorate qualifications.
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