If you’ve just scheduled a hearing test, congratulations! Taking a hearing test is one of the most important steps you can take toward improving your hearing health, as well as your overall health and well-being.
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, people wait for an average of seven years from when they first begin to experience changes in their hearing until they decide to take a hearing test. During this time, the gradual process of hearing loss could lead to many negative consequences in various areas of your life. Untreated hearing loss affects your job performance and interpersonal relationships and could even put you at risk for developing dementia.
Taking a hearing test helps combat these effects by identifying your hearing abilities. If a hearing loss is detected, our team at EarMaster will work with you to find the best treatment. It all begins with the first step: a hearing test.
As with all tests, we know that people may feel some trepidation. However, the entire process of a hearing test is simple, painless, and quick. Here’s what to expect at a hearing test with us.
Meet the team
After you check-in, you will meet one of the hearing providers who will take you through the process of the hearing exam. Our team is excited to meet you and support you on your journey to better hearing health. After introductions, we’ll take you to the hearing exam room and make sure you are comfortable.
A consultation
Before any testing begins, we’ll have a conversation about your medical history and your family medical history. We’ll talk about your employment, your daily activities and hobbies, and your lifestyle. We’ll inquire about times and spaces where you’ve struggled to hear, such as a noisy restaurant or your workplace. All of these elements help us become familiar with any accommodations we may need to consider should a hearing aid fitting take place.
Ear examination and Tympanometry
An otoscope allows us to look into your ear canals and check for any signs of injury or blockage. Sometimes, hearing loss may occur due to impacted earwax or rupture to the eardrum. This step is painless and will require no work on your part.
Next, for the tympanometry test, we’ll use a small probe with a flexible rubber tip to view your middle ear. You may experience changes in pressure in your ear, as you might during an airplane’s takeoff and landing. This procedure is also painless and allows us to check your middle ear function.
Hearing Tests
Following the physical examination, you will enter a soundproof booth with a pair of special headphones.
During the pure-tone hearing evaluation, a series of sounds at various volumes and frequencies will be played through your headphones. You’ll be asked to indicate if and when you hear them.
After this, you’ll take the speech test. This test is designed to gauge your speech recognition abilities, which are often affected by hearing loss. With this test, you’ll hear a series of words or phrases, and you’ll be asked to repeat them.
Discussing Your Results
The results of your hearing tests are recorded on an audiogram, a visual representation of your hearing abilities (based on each ear). We will discuss the audiogram with you, reviewing your hearing abilities. If a hearing loss is detected, the audiogram will give us information on your hearing loss type, degree, and configuration (unilateral or bilateral).
What next?
If a hearing loss is not detected, hang on to your audiogram! It is essential to schedule an annual hearing test as a part of your health plan.
Hearing aids are the most common form of treatment for hearing loss. We offer many different hearing aid options with the most current, advanced technologies to seamlessly fit into your lifestyle and reconnect you to the sounds of your life. If a hearing loss is detected, our team will work with you to determine the best solution to meet your hearing needs. To schedule a hearing test, contact us today.