What to expect at a hearing test

Discussing your medical background as it applies to your hearing is the first aspect of a hearing test. We will ask you about your noise levels at work and at home, as well as any changes you've noticed in your hearing.

We might ask about medications you've taken or are currently taking. Some drugs are ototoxic, meaning they may have the undesirable side effect of causing hearing loss. Any physical injuries, particularly those involving the head and neck, can also have implications for your hearing. If you have any history of impact injuries, we will ask you for details.

This discussion can also include examining the role your hearing plays in your life. If you have hearing issues, we might explore ways in which hearing challenges affect your lifestyle and your health. Knowing this information is essential for us to help guide you to the hearing solution that suits your unique needs best.

We will then check your ears with an otoscope. An otoscope helps us to look into the ear canals to see if there are any signs of damage or blockage. Occasionally, hearing loss can occur due to impacted earwax or an eardrum rupture. This procedure is painless and does not require any effort from you.

You will then be asked to put on a pair of headphones and enter a sound booth for the hearing test itself. We use technology that allows patients to measure their actual listening capacity by simulating real-life scenarios. Here are two of the most common hearing tests we perform.

Pure tone audiometry
The object of pure tone audiometry is to test the ability to hear sounds with different pitches or frequencies at different volumes. The sounds aren't going to be overly loud and shouldn't be painful to hear, but they're going to start at a louder level and slowly become quieter. We may adjust the intensity and duration to determine the listening capacity. There will be a button that you can press to show that you can hear the sounds.

Speech recognition test
This tests your ability to understand speech. We will read a series of words to you during this section, and you will be asked to repeat them. The sound of the terms will start at a low volume and will increase before you hear them.

Your hearing test results are measured on an audiogram, a visual illustration of your listening abilities by ear. Your speech recognition will also be reported as a percentage.

This audiogram will give us valuable details about your current listening skills. If a hearing loss is identified, it will also provide us with information about the degree and extent of the damage.

If we discover a hearing loss, the next step will be to explore treatment options. We will present a variety of treatment options based on your health history and lifestyle. It is up to you to decide which one will work for your hearing loss needs and budget.