Diagnosing hearing loss by yourself is pretty much impossible. For instance, you can’t actually put your ear up to a speaker and effectively evaluate what you hear. That means that if you want to understand what’s happening with your hearing, you have to take a test.
Now, before you begin sweating or fidgeting anxiously, it’s significant to point out that most hearing tests are very easy and require nothing more difficult than putting on a pair of fancy headphones.
But we get it, no one likes tests. Whether you’re a student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are just generally no fun. Taking a little time to get to know these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more relaxed. There’s virtually no test easier to take than a hearing test!
How is a hearing test performed?
Talking about scheduling an appointment to have a hearing assessment is something that isn’t that unusual. And the phrase “hearing test” is something we’ve probably discussed from time to time. Maybe, you’ve heard that there are two types of hearing tests and you’re wondering what they are all about.
Well, that’s not completely accurate. Because as it happens, there are a few different hearing tests you might undergo. Each of them is made to assess something different or provide you with a specific result. The hearing tests you’re most likely to encounter include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: Most people are probably familiar with this hearing test. You listen for a sound on a set of headphones. You simply raise your right hand if you hear a tone in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you raise your left hand. This will test how well you hear a variety of frequencies at a variety of volumes. And if you have more profound hearing loss in one ear, this test will also determine that.
- Speech audiometry: Sometimes, hearing speech is a problem for you even though you can hear tones clearly. Speech is typically a more complex audio range so it can be more difficult to hear with clarity. When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be brought into a quiet room and will, once again, be instructed to put on some headphones. Instead of making you focus on tones, this test will be comprised of audible speech at different volumes to detect the lowest level you’re able to hear a word and still understand it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Obviously, conversations in real-time take place in settings where other sounds are present. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same procedure as speech audiometry, but the test takes place in a noisy room instead of a quiet one. This can help you determine how well your hearing is working in real-world scenarios.
- Bone conduction testing: This diagnostic is designed to measure the performance of your inner ear. Two little sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and one on your cochlea. A small device then receives sounds. This test measures how well those sound vibrations move through your inner ear. If this test establishes that sound is traveling through your ear effectively it may suggest that you have a blockage.
- Tympanometry: Occasionally, we’ll want to check the general health of your eardrum. This is accomplished using a test called tympanometry. Air will be gently blown into your ear so that we can measure how much movement your eardrum has. The results of this test can reveal whether your eardrum has a hole, fluid behind your eardrum membrane, and more.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: A tiny device measures the muscle feedback of your inner ear after delivering sound to it. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us discover how well it’s working.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test attempts to measure how well the brain and inner ear are reacting to sound. This is accomplished by placing a couple of strategically placed electrodes on the outside of your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is completely painless. That’s why people from newborns to grandparents get this test.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This diagnostic is designed to track how well your cochlea and inner ear are working. This is achieved by tracking sound that echo’s back to your middle ear from your inner ear. This can identify whether your cochlea is working or, in some cases, if your ear is blocked.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
It’s likely, you probably won’t take every single one of these hearing tests. We will choose one or two tests that best address your symptoms and then go from there.
When we test your hearing, what are we looking for? Well, sometimes the tests you take will uncover the root cause of your hearing loss. In other situations, the test you take may simply rule out other possible causes. Whatever hearing loss symptoms you’re dealing with will ultimately be determined.
Here are a few things that your hearing test can uncover:
- How much your hearing loss has progressed and how serious it is.
- Whether you are dealing with hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms associated with hearing loss.
- Whether your hearing loss is in a specific frequency range.
- Which treatment approach is best for your hearing loss: Once we’ve identified what’s causing your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more effectively offer treatment solutions.
Is there any difference between a hearing screening and a hearing test? It’s sort of like the difference between a quiz and a test. A screening is rather superficial. A test is much more in-depth and can provide usable data.
It’s best to get a hearing test as soon as you can
So as soon as you notice symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Take it easy, you won’t have to study, and the test isn’t stressful. Nor are hearing tests invasive or generally painful. If you’re wondering, what you shouldn’t do before you get a hearing test, don’t worry, we will have all of that information for you.
It’s easy, just call and schedule an appointment.