Self-diagnosing hearing loss is pretty much impossible. As an example, you can’t really measure your level of hearing by merely putting your ear next to a speaker. Which means that if you want to understand what’s going on with your hearing, you need to get it tested.
But there’s no need to be concerned or stress out because a hearing test is about as simple as putting on a high-tech set of headphones.
Alright, tests aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Tests in general are no fun for anyone of any age. You will be more relaxed and more ready if you take a little time to get to know these tests. There’s almost no test easier to take than a hearing test!
How is a hearing test done?
Talking about making an appointment to have a hearing assessment is something that isn’t that unusual. And we’ve probably used the phrase “hearing test” once or twice. You may even be thinking, well, what are the two types of hearing tests?
Well, that’s not exactly accurate. Because you may undergo a few different types of hearing tests, as it turns out. Each of these tests will provide you with a particular result and is designed to measure something different. Here are some of the hearing tests you’re likely to experience:
- Pure-tone audiometry: This is the hearing test you’re likely most aware of. You listen for a sound on a pair of headphones. You just raise your right hand if you hear a tone in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you put up your left hand. With this, we can determine which wavelengths and volumes of sound you’re able to hear. And if you have more profound hearing loss in one ear, this test will also determine that.
- Speech audiometry: Sometimes, you’re able to hear tones very well, but hearing speech remains something of a challenge. Speech is generally a more complex audio range so it can be harder to hear with clarity. During a speech audiometry test, you’ll be led into a quiet room and will, once again, be directed to put on some headphones. You will listen to speech at different volumes to determine the lowest volume you can hear words and clearly comprehend them.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Naturally, real-world conversations seldom take place in a vacuum. The only real difference between this test and the Speech audiometry test is that it is performed in a noisy setting. This can help you determine how well your hearing is working in real-world situations.
- Bone conduction testing: How well your inner ear is functioning will be established by this test. Two little sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and the other on your cochlea. A small device then receives sounds. How effectively sound vibrations travel through the ear is tracked by this test. If this test establishes that sound is moving through your ear effectively it may indicate that you have an obstruction.
- Tympanometry: The general health of your eardrum sometimes requires testing. Tympanometry is a test that is used for this purpose. 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: During this test, a tiny device delivers sound to your ear and measures the muscle feedback of your inner ear. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us discover how well it’s functioning.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test tries to measure how well the brain and inner ear are reacting to sound. To achieve this test, a couple of electrodes are tactically placed on your skull. This test is totally painless so don’t worry. That’s why people from newborns to grandparents get this test.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This type of testing will help identify if your inner ear and cochlea are working effectively. This is achieved by tracking sound that echo’s back to your middle ear from your inner ear. This can detect whether your cochlea is working or, in some cases, if your ear is blocked.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
Chances are, you probably won’t take every single one of these hearing tests. We will pick one or two tests that best address your symptoms and then go from there.
What are we looking for in a hearing test? A hearing test can sometimes expose the cause of your hearing loss. The hearing test you take can, in other cases, simply help us rule out other causes. Essentially, we will get to the bottom of any hearing loss symptoms you are experiencing.
Here are some things that your hearing test can reveal:
- Whether you are dealing with hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms related to hearing loss.
- Which frequency of sound you have the hardest time hearing (some individuals have a difficult time hearing high frequencies; others have a difficult time hearing low sounds).
- The best approach for managing your hearing loss: Once we’ve determined the cause of your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more effectively provide treatment options.
- How profound your hearing loss is (or, if you’ve had multiple tests over the years, how your hearing loss might have progressed).
Is there any difference between a hearing screening and a hearing test? The difference between a quiz and a test is an apt analogy. A screening is very superficial. A test is a lot more in-depth and can supply usable data.
The sooner you take this test, the better
So as soon as you detect symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Don’t worry, this test isn’t going to be very stressful, and you don’t need to study. And the tests aren’t painful or invasive. We will give you all of the information about what to do and not to do before your hearing test.
Which means hearing tests are pretty easy, all you need to do is schedule them.