5 My parents took me to a hearing specialist. The diagnosis was pretty straightforward: In both ears, I'd lost some hearing at one range and a lot of hearing at another. The constant ringing was connected to the hearing loss. Of course I asked the doctor, “So what can you do about it?” Her response—“The hearing loss is irreversible”—wasn't the answer I was expecting.

Use this dictionary entry to answer the question.
ist-(suffix): one who is devoted to something [Latin]
What is the meaning of the word specialist in paragraph 5 of the passage?
a. a person who researches common diseases

b. a person who is an authority on a specific subject

c. a place where doctors study medicine

d. a place where people are treated for serious injuries