The Rush Approach to Audiology Services
Hearing loss can mean more than missing a few words. It can make you feel like you’re left out of talks with loved ones, not understanding things you used to, or withdrawing from your social life.
We understand the challenges you face when you have hearing loss. That's why our experts are dedicated to identifying problems and creating custom care plans that meet your communication needs. Our audiologists work with specialists across many fields, including ear, nose and throat physicians. Together they accurately diagnose and treat ear issues, hearing loss, auditory processing disorders and tinnitus in patients of all ages, from children to older adults.
They’ll talk with you about skill-specific communication strategies. And they'll explore the benefits of personal sound amplifiers, hearing aids, auditory osseointegrated implants (Baha) or cochlear implants.
How Do You Know if You Have Hearing Loss?
Advanced Audiology Services at Rush
Our audiologists rely on advanced diagnostic and treatment options to meet any ear- or hearing-related needs. Their services include the following:
- Comprehensive hearing evaluations: If you have signs of hearing loss — missing parts of conversations, needing the television or devices to stay at high volume or struggling to hear with background noise present — a hearing evaluation is recommended.
Most hearing evaluations include an audiogram, similar to hearing tests that many students take in school. This involves wearing headphones and responding to tones or words. It can help find out which sound frequencies and intensities you’re able to hear.
Evaluations may also include speech recognition testing, which measures your ability to understand and respond to spoken words.
Your hearing specialist will also examine your ears for signs of fluid buildup, pressure, damage to the eardrum or anything that could prevent sound from reaching the inner ear. - Tinnitus evaluation and management: If you have ringing or other types of sounds in one or both ears that disrupt your sleep or daily activities, a tinnitus evaluation can help find the cause and identify factors that could be making it louder. Our specialists can then develop a custom management plan to help control your symptoms.
- Hearing aid fittings and adjustments: If your audiologist prescribes hearing aids, they’ll discuss your options to find out which kinds are right for you. They work with all major manufacturers and can help find out if your insurance will provide any coverage. They’ll strive to reduce the amount you pay out of pocket as much as possible.
Once you’ve decided which devices are right for you, they’ll make sure your hearing aids are fine-tuned and fitted to your ears. This is followed by a 45-day adjustment period when patients are encouraged to come in and make sure devices are working as well as possible. - Custom earplugs and protection: Earplugs or other types of hearing protection are often recommended for patients who are exposed to potentially hazardous sounds such as loud music, power tools and firearms. Swimmers who are at risk for ear infections may also need to protect their ears from water. Our audiologists offer custom fitted earplugs, ear monitors and other types of ear protection to meet your needs.
- Pediatric audiology services: Audiologists often recommend services for children who have not passed their newborn hearing screenings, aren’t meeting developmental speech milestones or don't respond to parents at home. Rush has dedicated audiology services for these young patients. You can learn more on our Pediatric Audiology Services page.
- Surgically implanted devices: When hearing aid services don’t provide enough hearing restoration, devices like cochlear implants or auditory osseointegrated implants (Baha) may be the best options. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that features both an implant and an external speech processor worn behind the ear, while Baha users wear only a small device on the mastoid bone of the ear with hearing loss. Our auditory implant team is made up of audiologists and otologists who work together to evaluate patients’ surgical options. They also evaluate these patients after surgery to keep an eye on their progress.
Meet our audiology providers
What to Expect Before and After Your First Audiology Appointment
Before your first audiology appointment at Rush, you’ll need a referral from your primary care physician or ENT. Then, when you call to schedule, a care coordinator will let you know about any other forms or information you might need, including insurance. Patients are generally seen within two to three weeks of scheduling.
When you see your audiologist, they’ll take a look at your medical history and any medications you’re taking. They’ll ask you about your symptoms, including when they first appeared, how they affect your life and whether they’ve worsened over time.
They’ll likely perform an audiogram. This will help them diagnose your hearing or ear issues and recommend further testing if you need it. They’ll provide you with a copy of your hearing test. They may let you know the same day if they believe hearing aids will be right for you.
From there, you may need a comprehensive hearing evaluation, balance test, cochlear implant evaluation or other types of testing. Your audiologist will use these to give you a full diagnosis and recommend further treatment.
Second Opinions in Audiology Care
It’s very common — and a good idea — to get a second opinion on a hearing loss diagnosis or treatment plan.
Our audiologists work with several other specialists to make sure you get the perspective of a full team of experts. They can help you feel confident in your diagnosis and prescribed treatment, or they can offer you alternatives that might be more appropriate for you.
To get a second opinion from our audiologists, call Rush at (888) 352-7874, and a care coordinator will help you set up an appointment.
Choosing Rush for Audiology and Hearing Services
- Leading-edge diagnostic technology: Using advanced diagnostic tools, our team will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your hearing and/or balance, identify the cause of your problems and develop the most appropriate plan of care.
- Access to new treatments: We help you hear better through various options, including the latest hearing aids, as well as assistive listening devices for television, telephone, Bluetooth and other wireless technology. Our experts are also at the forefront of research into new treatments through clinical trials, including studies for at-home rehabilitation exercises and improved cochlear implants. These can offer patients access to care options that they may not find elsewhere.
- Surgical implants to help you hear better: Working with our auditory implant team, you will be able to make informed choices that best suit your needs. Our audiologists and otologists work together to evaluate patients for cochlear and osseointegrated implants that can provide hearing restoration when hearing aids aren’t enough. After surgery, they monitor patients to ensure they continue to make progress and address any further needs they may have.
- A dedicated dizziness and balance team: If you’re having trouble with balance that is related to ear issues, our team of specialists from audiology, otology and neurology will collaborate on your care options. They’ll also work with physical therapists to ensure your balance is restored.
- World-class audiologists: All our audiologists have doctoral degrees, state licenses and clinical certification through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. As teachers and researchers, they're able to bring the latest advances in audiology to our patients.
FAQs About Audiology Services at Rush
To schedule an appointment with a Rush audiologist, you may need a referral from your primary care physician or ENT. You can call (888) 352-7874, and a care coordinator will help you. If you are a current Rush patient, you can also make an appointment via MyChart.
Yes, most patients need a referral to see an audiologist and hearing aid evaluations. We suggest that you get a referral from your primary care physician or from an ENT physician to make sure service can be provided.
Yes, our audiologists offer hearing aid evaluations, fittings and checks. They will help you understand your listening needs and match the type of hearing aid and the technology to those needs.
You should see a hearing specialist for a comprehensive hearing evaluation if any of the following applies to you:
- You miss parts of conversations
- You often need others to repeat themselves
- People often need to fill in gaps that you’ve missed when they’re talking
- You need to keep your television or phone volume very high to hear
- You feel that listening just needs to be easier
Rush audiologists perform many diagnostic tests for hearing and ear issues. The most common is an audiogram, which is a test most people in the United States take in early school years. It involves wearing headphones and responding to tones or repeating words that they hear.
There are also several more advanced tests. An auditory brainstem response test is sometimes used for children who aren’t able to say what they’re hearing. It allows the audiologist to record what they hear by reading brain waves.
Videonystagmography is another test that uses infrared goggles to record eye movements. It can help diagnose ear and balance issues.
Our audiologists also specialize in diagnosing tinnitus and can run further tests to see if cochlear implants are right for you.
Yes, we have a dedicated pediatric audiology program to treat ear- and hearing-related issues in children. If your child has not passed their newborn hearing screening, is not meeting developmental speech milestones or is not responding to you at home, our experts can provide an evaluation and offer treatment options. You can learn more on our Pediatric Audiology Services page.
