What to Expect During a Comprehensive Hearing Test

The best thing you can do is make an appointment with an audiologist for a comprehensive hearing test, but some people might not like this idea simply because they don’t know what it involves. The issue is that they’ll leave the test for another day, and in the meantime, their hearing loss can become more serious. If that’s the case for you, here are some of the things to expect during a comprehensive hearing test so you can be more prepared and make your appointment sooner rather than later.

The Importance of a Comprehensive Hearing Test

A comprehensive hearing test carried out by an audiologist is the foundation for understanding what your hearing is like, and it’s a way to spot any potential hearing issues you might experience. When you have a test, solutions can be put in place quickly and accurately if the results suggest you need some assistance in the form of hearing aids, for example.

Scheduling the Test

When you make an appointment with an audiologist, they’ll guide you through the process and answer any questions you might have. You’ll need to talk about your medical history, any noise exposure you might deal with on a regular basis, any family history of hearing loss and your current symptoms, so make sure you’re aware of this and have the answers ready.

Otoscopic Exam

An audiologist will start by examining your outer ear and ear canal using an otoscope. This process helps to rule out any obstructions or anything else obvious that might affect your hearing.

Pure-Tone Audiometry

The pure-tone audiometry test is one of the most common tests during a hearing evaluation, so it’s highly likely you’ll need to do it. You’ll be put in a soundproof room and asked to wear headphones. Once you’re settled, an audiologist will play a series of chimes at various frequencies and volumes, and you need to signal by pressing a button when you hear a sound. This test is to help work out the softest sounds you can hear, which gives your audiologist a good overview of your hearing levels.

Speech Audiometry

In this test, your audiologist will play a recorded speech and ask you to repeat it. This assesses how well you can understand and repeat speech at various volumes.

Bone Conduction Test

A bone conduction test is conducted by placing a vibrating device behind your ear. This test helps to determine if your hearing loss is due to issues in the outer or middle ear,or if it’s actually linked to the inner ear.

Tympanometry

This test assesses the mobility of your eardrum, and how well the middle ear works. It can help to identify issues such as ear infections or problems with the eustachian tube.

Results and Discussion

Once all the tests are over, your audiologist can analyze the results to see what the extent of your hearing loss is. Once they know, they’ll be able to discuss the results with you, giving you a detailed explanation about what everything means.

If hearing loss is detected, the audiologist will recommend the next steps, which might be hearing aids, for example.