Hearing Tests 101
Hearing tests go by many names — like audiological evaluation, hearing evaluation, and audiometry test — but at the most basic level, they are all evaluating your ability to hear. Hearing loss can be frustrating for those who have it and for their loved ones. If you suspect you may be losing your hearing, a hearing test can both confirm that hearing loss and help identify the best path forward for addressing it.
An interest in studying hearing and the loss of it has been around since Hippocrates in ancient Greece. However, the modern era of audiology is only about 80 years old. This was around the time that many veterans were returning home from World War II with severe hearing loss.
Hearing tests were administered to those returning vets, and the groundwork was set for continuous improvements in the arena of hearing tests. Many hearing tests today are administered by hearing aid dispensers who are not licensed to diagnose hearing loss. Other hearing tests, like the ones administered by our team at Hearing Solution Centers, are performed by hearing care professionals who can diagnose hearing loss.
A hearing test can make a world of difference. Understanding why you may have hearing loss is just as important as taking steps to correct it.
What to Expect During a Hearing Test
As mentioned before, a hearing test at Hearing Solution Centers is completed by one of our licensed hearing care professionals. Before the actual hearing test begins, we thoroughly review your medical history to ensure we know of any history that may be causing your hearing loss, like if you take certain medications or if hearing loss runs in the family.
Before we start a hearing test, we will usually look in your ear and check for wax or physical blockages, as those can sometimes contribute to the hearing loss you’re experiencing. But, doing this exam only tells us part of the story, as we can only see about a third of the ear with an otoscope.
To begin the test, you are fitted with ear plugs that provide the best fit and do not distort sound like headphones can. The ear plugs provide a more effective test with results that can be trusted because they go more deeply into the ear canal where hearing problems reside.
Once the test begins, sounds or beeps will be played into the ear plugs and you’ll push a button each time you hear the beep. Some of these beeps will be high-pitched and some very low-pitched so that we can get an understanding of the state of your hearing.
Following the “beep” test, the focus turns to speech reception. Hearing aid dispensers typically do not spend much time on this, but we believe it is very important in order to get an overall reading of where your hearing currently is. Your ability to understand speech is a major portion of your life — conversations are what connects you to the world and understanding them is imperative to living a quality life.
One last aspect of hearing that Hearing Solution Centers analyzes is your ability to hear speech in noisy environments. Only about 30% of hearing tests include this important factor in their testing, and we’re proud to be one of a small number of practices that offer this. A lot of life is about being outside of your home and enjoying what the world has to offer. We want to make sure that you can hear in any environment!
The Results
When all of the testing is completed, we take time to go through the results with you. This discussion doesn’t last 15 minutes like you might experience at some practices. We take about an hour and a half to properly assess, review your results, and answer all of your questions. We focus on what you’re experiencing with your hearing, not what you’re feeling — experience goes deeper! We discuss all aspects of your life to make sure we fully understand how to improve your hearing.
At Hearing Solution Centers, we do not let the hearing aid manufacturer choose your prescription. It may sound crazy — and it is! — but many hearing test results are handed over to the manufacturer to decide what the prescription is. Only about 20% of hearing aid dispensers or audiologists prescribe the hearing aid themselves.
We are very picky when it comes to prescriptions for hearing aids. We want them to be right for your life and we want you to have the knowledge as to why a specific prescription was given. Understanding why a certain hearing aid was chosen for you is vital to you being part of the process of improving your hearing.
Our team at Hearing Solution Centers recognizes what hearing loss can take from your life. We want you to feel connected to your family and friends, and we want you to understand all types of speech in all types of environments!
Watch the video below for more information on hearing tests, and schedule your appointment today!
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