How Do Doctors Diagnose It?

Certain symptoms in teens should prompt a trip to the doctor. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, you should let your parents or doctor know if:

• You feel that people mumble or that their speech is not clear, or you hear only parts of conversations when people are talking.
• You often ask people to repeat what they said.
• Friends or family tell you that you don't seem to hear very well.
• You don't laugh at jokes because you miss too much of the story.
• You need to ask others about the details of a class or meeting you attended.
• People say that you play music or your TV too loudly.
• You can't hear the doorbell or telephone.

The doctor will usually examine a person's ears and, if necessary, refer someone with these symptoms to an audiologist , a health professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating hearing problems. The audiologist will do various hearing tests that can help detect where the problem might be. For example, to test the function of the inner ear, the audiologist can put a special device behind the ear that transmits tones directly there. This helps to distinguish between inner ear and middle or outer ear problems.

A person  may also need to see an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat problems.