What Happens During Your Hearing Test

If you’re thinking about seeing an audiologist for your hearing, then chances are you may receive a series of hearing tests. This evaluation is performed with several instruments that will thoroughly examine how well your hearing can function and what sounds it can pick up. Whether you’re visiting for age-related hearing loss or tinnitus, here is what you can expect from a hearing test.

Consultation

The first step that you can expect is to receive a consultation from your audiologist. They review your medical history, hearing health history as well as lifestyle habits that could potentially contribute to hearing issues. You will also need to provide your medication history such as what you were taking the past few years and what you are currently taking. Also, you’ll be asked about the noise exposure risks that you may be dealing with in day-to-day life. Going over your history will help find the cause of the hearing issues so the audiologist can find the best course of treatment.

Ear Canal Inspection

After your consultation, you’ll receive a physical exam. Your audiologist will use a video otoscope to book inside your ear canal. This is a quick and painless procedure that checks for common problems such as excessive wax buildup, eardrum damage, infection or any other condition that could be making an impact on your hearing. This physical exam can help the audiologist isolate what the cause of the problem is in the outer and middle ear so that the hearing problem can be resolved or relieved with treatment.

Getting a Hearing Test

After your physical exam and consultation, you’ll be given one or more hearing tests. These tests are appropriate for all ages and are completely painless and non-invasive. These will determine your ability to hear at a different range of frequencies, vibrations, volumes and tones. The most common type of hearing tests that you may experience are:

• The pure-tone audiometry hearing test
• The otoacoustic emission test
• The speech discrimination test
• The tympanometry test

Going Over the Audiogram Results

You’ll often receive your results immediately after the hearing tests are completed. The test results are presented on a graph called an audiogram. These have a horizontal and vertical axis that displays the different pitches or frequencies of sound that you’re able to detect as well as the intensity or volume of the sounds. Audiograms will produce two sets of results, one for each ear.

Next Steps After Testing

Once your hearing tests are complete and you’ve received your audiogram results. Your audiologist will discuss the results with you and then begin to recommend treatments. Many different treatment methods can depend on the severity of your hearing loss. Most patients with mild hearing loss or beyond will need hearing aids, some of these treatments will require hearing aids and forms of audio therapy.