What Happens During a Hearing Test?

Arranging a hearing test with your audiologist is the most effective way to get the truth behind any suspicions or concerns you might have. They can diagnose not only whether you have hearing loss, but also how severe or mild it might be, as well as the potential causes. You might be wondering what to expect, so here’s a rundown of what happens during a hearing test.

The beginning of the test

Before the hearing test, you will be asked to fill out some forms including providing details about personal information and your medical history. You’ll be given a Notice of Privacy, so the results of your test will be entirely confidential. Then, when you’re with the audiologist, you will be asked questions based on your personal information, your lifestyle, and the kinds of environments you spend time in. This can help them see potential risk factors that could be affecting your hearing.

Taking a closer look

A hearing test will typically begin with a physical examination of the outer ear. This involves using a non-invasive device called an otoscope. This device is used to see clearly into the ear, to the ear canal, and may have a camera so that you are able to see as well. This way, the audiologist can spot any obvious issues, such as a build-up of earwax or signs of infection that may be contributing to hearing loss.

The different kinds of hearing tests

After the physical examination, the audiologist will conduct a series of tests. The most common tests typically involve listening to sounds or words through a pair of headphones in a soundproof booth. The pure-tone test will involve the audiologist playing a range of noises at different pitches and frequencies. You will be asked to indicate whether you can hear a noise by saying “yes,” raising your hand or pressing a button. The speech test is similar, except this involves the audiologist either speaking through a microphone or playing speech through your headphones. They will test whether you can repeat words in different volumes of speech, seeing the softest speech you can hear, as well as speaking with loud background noise.

Hearing your results

The audiologist will be recording your range of hearing and your ability to understand speech through the tests mentioned above. All of this data helps them put together an audiogram. The audiologist will go through this chart with you, showing your hearing loss in different frequencies and decibels. If you have any hearing loss, you can see the type, pattern and severity. If you do have signs of hearing loss, the audiologist may set an appointment to review which treatment can best help you. Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss.

Hearing tests are nothing to worry about, especially under the care of an experienced audiologist. They are the only way to get a full understanding of your hearing health, so if you have any worries that you might have hearing loss, you should make an appointment today.