Your Columbia, SC Audiologist
If you are dealing with ringing in the ears (known as tinnitus), balance problems or hearing loss, an audiologist is a medical specialist that you can turn to for individualized care. Here at Carolina Hearing Institute in Lugoff, SC, our audiologists Dr. Kathryn McGee, Dr. Kelly Long and Dr. Joi Murray specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, treating and managing conditions that affect hearing in children, teens, adults, and seniors.
We provide comprehensive audiology care and treatment to patients living in and around the Columbia SC area. Dr. McGee, Dr. Long and Dr. Murray have received extensive medical training to be able to identify, assess and treat a variety of hearing problems and conditions that affect the health and function of the ears. Furthermore, we also provide early hearing loss interventions, aural rehabilitation, as well as hearing aid fittings, and cochlear and auditory implants.
When should I visit an audiologist?
One of the reasons many people visit our office is for hearing evaluations. We perform comprehensive hearing exams to both children and adults. After all, hearing loss doesn’t just affect adults. Infants will often have their hearing tested after birth and again when they are six-months old. Children should also get hearing exams before starting school. Furthermore, adults over the age of 55 should come in for an evaluation so that if hearing loss does occur we have a baseline measurement from which to measure your possible hearing loss.
While hearing loss is one of the common conditions that an audiologist treats this isn’t the only problem. Our Lugoff, SC, audiologists can treat everything from minor problems such as impacted earwax to balance disorders that cause vertigo. If you experience ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or if you experience frequent dizziness you may just want to turn to an audiologist to find out what’s going on.
During your consultation, we will go through your medical history and ask you a series of questions regarding the symptoms you are experiencing. Then we will physically exam the ear to look for any problems such as impacted earwax or a damaged eardrum that could be leading to your symptoms. The testing and screenings we perform will depend on the issues you are dealing with. For example, patients complaining of hearing loss will undergo a quick, painless hearing screening while those with balance disorders may require blood tests and imaging tests as well as certain diagnostic tests to check the function of the vestibular system.
If you are looking for an audiologist in the Columbia SC area who can diagnose and treat your hearing loss then call Carolina Hearing Institute at (803) 424-2208.