HEARING TEST
What happens during a hearing test?
Our hearing evaluation begins with a Case History. You will be asked about your medical history, current medical issues, hearing loss symptoms, family history of hearing loss, history of noise exposure, and your hearing concerns.
Next, we look into your ears using a tiny camera called a video Otoscope. This instrument is used to see the ear canal and eardrum to determine whether or not there is earwax obstructing the canal or any other conditions. You will be able to see what we see on the video monitor!
Once we see that your ear canals are clear of obstruction and the eardrums are of healthy appearance, we can perform your hearing test in our sound treated testing booth.
This testing will enable us to determine:
Whether or not a hearing loss exists
The possible cause of hearing loss
The degree and type of hearing loss and whether the loss exists in one or both ears
Make an appropriate hearing aid recommendation
There is a wide selection of models, sizes and technologies to accommodate most lifestyles, budgets and cosmetic preferences.
Will it hurt?
This is a very common question that we are asked. The short answer: No.
There is no pain involved during a hearing test, and you cannot fail it either. We are simply gathering information so we can “see” and “look” at you hearing.
During the hearing test, our specialist will place small foam inserts in your ears so that you will be able to hear their instructions. The specialist will play a series of different tones at different levels and you will respond to these signals when you hear them by pushing a button.
The lowest levels of the test signals you can hear at least half of the time are called your hearing thresholds. These thresholds assist in determining the type and degree of hearing loss, potential causes of your hearing loss as well as your hearing aid candidacy. Thresholds are recorded for each frequency and each ear on a chart called an Audiogram.
We will also perform speech understanding tests where test words are played aloud by our state of the art computerized testing equipment and you repeat the word aloud back to us. Many people can hear; however, they have trouble understanding speech. This portion of the testing shows us how your hearing loss has affected your ability to understand speech.
After your exam…
After completion of the hearing test, our specialist will review the results with you in detail to give you a full understanding of your hearing and make their recommendations. They will answer any questions you may have about your hearing loss and how it may affect your lifestyle. We want you to completely understand the direction we feel is best suited for you.
If you decide to move forward with hearing help, we will set a fitting appointment and start down the path to better hearing. It is always your decision and we respect what you decide. Remember, Better Hearing – Better Living!
