Top Reasons to Trust an Audiologist with Your Hearing Health
Audiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing-related issues
By: admin | March 26, 2017
Hearing loss is an incredibly common condition impacting people of all ages in the U.S. For many individuals, recognizing the signs of hearing loss can be difficult, particularly when it’s gradual. If you’re unsure of your hearing health, consider having a hearing test.
Since hearing loss can occur any time in your life span, here are a few things you should know about hearing tests.
Babies get their first hearing test in the hospital. Children and teens usually have hearing screenings at school. If you are an adult and think you might need a hearing test, you probably do. Here are some sure signs it’s time to get your hearing tested.
Because hearing loss is gradual, you may live with it for years before it is diagnosed.
There are hearing screenings and hearing tests. Hearing screenings are frequently part of a medical exam or are even offered at health fairs and online websites. Screenings are not true hearing tests; they are a pass-fail challenge to determine if there is a possibility of hearing loss. If you fail a hearing screening, there’s a good chance you have hearing loss.
True hearing tests determine your ability to hear across a range of frequencies and tones. These are expressed in decibels (dB) and hertz. The standard battery of hearing tests includes:
Pure tone audiometry and speech discrimination tests focus on the sounds you are able to hear. Otoacoustic emission testing and tympanometry are concerned with how your ears are functioning. In addition to these tests, electrocochleography or auditory brainstem response testing may be performed.
The results of your hearing tests are charted on a piece of paper known as an audiogram. It may look like just a series of lines and dots, but it is a roadmap of exactly what tones you can perceive at what frequencies.
The vertical lines represent frequencies (pitch) from low to high and are read from left to right.
Intensity is represented by the horizontal lines and is measured in decibels. It indicates how loud or soft a sound is.
Each ear will be tested and charted separately and the results recorded on the audiogram.
If the results of the test, as indicated by the audiogram, indicate that you have hearing loss it may be one of several types.
The amount of hearing loss determined by hearing tests is measured in decibels. Classifications are:
Depending on the severity of hearing loss, hearing aids or other assistive hearing devices may be recommended by the audiologist. In the event you need a hearing aid, your audiologist will walk you through the steps of selecting the perfect device for your lifestyle, hearing needs and budget.
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