The Total Hearing Care Difference

Audiologists: The Doctoral Difference in Hearing Healthcare

• Dr. Jill Copley • Episode 7

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What Is An Audiologist and What Education Do They Have?

The credentials behind your hearing healthcare provider matter more than you might think. Dr. Jill Copley reveals the significant differences between audiologists and hearing aid dispensers that could transform your hearing health journey.

Audiologists bring doctoral-level expertise to hearing care, completing extensive education that prepares them to diagnose and treat the full spectrum of hearing and balance disorders. Unlike hearing instrument specialists, audiologists can perform specialized diagnostic testing that identifies conditions requiring medical intervention, collaborate with ENT physicians, conduct balance assessments, and safely remove ear wax—skills that extend far beyond simply fitting hearing aids.

When it comes to managing conditions like tinnitus, audiologists offer unique advantages through their understanding of the neurological connections between hearing loss and tinnitus. They're trained in various treatment approaches, from specialized sound therapy systems to hearing instruments that help redirect the brain's attention away from tinnitus sounds. This comprehensive approach addresses not just the hearing loss itself, but the full range of associated conditions that impact quality of life.

If you're ready to experience the difference doctoral-level hearing care can make, contact Total Hearing Care in the DFW Metroplex to schedule your appointment today.

To learn more about Total Hearing Care visit:
https://www.TotalHearingCare.com
Total Hearing Care
Multiple Locations Across the DFW Metroplex
469-218-4853

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference where we help you experience life through better hearing. Hosted by the experts at Total Hearing Care, a leading private audiology practice serving the DFW Metroplex, we're here to provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus and the latest advancements in audiology. Transform your life through better hearing. Let's get started.

Speaker 2:

Not all hearing professionals are created equal. Discover the training and expertise that sets audiologists apart and why that matters for your hearing health. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host slash producer, back in the studio with Dr Jill Copley. Dr Copley, how's it going today? Going great, sophia. It's so good to be back and it's great to have you back Now for our listeners who don't know what's an audiologist and what education do they have?

Speaker 3:

Okay, so an audiologist is a healthcare professional that is able to diagnose and treat hearing loss, as well as diagnose and do testing for balance disorders and do testing for balance disorders. Our education includes a bachelor's degree of college as well as going into a doctorate degree for specifically in audiology. Some audiologists still have just a master's degree, but around year 2000, we switched to a doctorate degree, so every new person coming out of school for audiology is going to have a doctorate.

Speaker 2:

Wow. So, Dr Copley, what's the difference between an audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser?

Speaker 3:

Okay, so that's a great question. So part of the difference is just the college education. So our education for an audiologist is going to focus on lots of different things. It's going to focus on what we think of as hearing aids that's what people think but it's also based on diagnostic testing. So we do special testing for another hearing professional which is an otolaryngologist or an ENT, and our testing can let them know if you have things like ear infections or if you need surgery. So that goes into that. We can do balance testing. A hearing aid instrument specialist cannot do balance testing. We can perform wax removal and most instrument specialists cannot do that. We also have a lot of courses in things like counseling, business and other aspects of hearing that hearing instrument specialists don't need to take to get their license.

Speaker 2:

Wow. Now how does audiologist training prepare them to manage tinnitus?

Speaker 3:

repair them to manage tinnitus. So tinnitus is another aspect that goes along typically with hearing. So when we look at somebody with tinnitus, that's going to indicate that there's some damage somewhere in the hearing system and typically that will go along with hearing. So when we are studying hearing loss, in a way we're also studying tinnitus, because it all comes from the same areas of the brain and so they just go together and we also look at the technology that's available to help with tinnitus and there can be lots of different things. I think in another podcast one of our audiologists talked about a system called Lanier, which is a feedback system you can use. One of the best treatments for tinnitus is using hearing instruments. Hearing instruments kind of give the brain something different to listen to, so your brain is not listening to your tinnitus. That's an easy way to put it. But those are all things that we learn and a lot of it has to do with the neurology in the brain.

Speaker 2:

So why is it important for patients to seek a licensed audiologist?

Speaker 3:

So it's important to seek a licensed audiologist One, basically because of the law.

Speaker 3:

So legally, we are the ones that can work with you with your hearing, with your hearing aids.

Speaker 3:

To have protections In the state, it's important to work with an audiologist directly, meaning something like if you get something online, you may not know who guarantees that warranty. You may not get a warranty, you may not be able to return the devices if something doesn't work for you, but if you go through a licensed audiologist in your state, you will have a guarantee of a warranty on the devices, a guarantee of service with the audiologist, as well as the ability to return something if it doesn't work with you or switch out to something different, a different technology that might work better for you. And you can't always do that. When you're working online or working with friends or something like that, we can also make sure everything is fitting properly, that we are sitting across from you and working with you to make sure the sound is okay and that you're getting the benefit that you need. When you work with people that don't have that experience or you're working online, you may not get that precise fitting that you're needing.

Speaker 2:

Now, what kinds of continuing education do audiologists complete to stay current?

Speaker 3:

So audiologists in Texas Now I'm talking about the state of Texas, because each state is a little different. Each state can create their own laws for licensure. In Texas we have to have at least 10 hours of continuing education each year has to be in ethics of audiology, and that one hour is actually every two years, but it comes out to about 10 hours a year. I also have a board certification in audiology and what that requires is 20 hours a year, so 60 hours every three years, and that requires different kinds of continuing education. So some continuing education you can get from manufacturers of products, whether that's amplified telephones or hearing aids or equipment, and then other continuing education you can get based on research, and so I have to have both. I'm required to have both as well as the ethics hours that are required by the state.

Speaker 2:

Wow. So, dr Copley, when it comes to hearing, do you ever think we'll reach a phase where it'll be completely solved and people can 100% get their hearing back restored just as it was in the beginning?

Speaker 3:

You know that's a great question. I think science is definitely working towards that. The thing with hearing is it's destroying certain cells. Certain cells are very damaged and so scientists have to figure out a way to recreate those cells, and they are certainly working at it. I don't think it would happen in my lifetime, but do I think it could happen? I do. I think anything's possible with science. It's not at the level of working in a human yet, but I could see it certainly getting there at some point in the future.

Speaker 2:

Well. Thank you so much for your helpful insights today. Dr Copley, it was a pleasure speaking with you and we'll catch you on the next episode. Have a wonderful rest of your day, Thank you my pleasure.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing Care Difference. If you're in the DFW Metroplex and ready to take the next step toward better hearing, call 469-218-4853 to book an appointment or visit TotalHearingCarecom, because when you hear better, you live better. See you next time.