How Is Your Hearing Tested?

You might suspect you have hearing loss. If you have to turn the TV set’s volume up high, you have trouble hearing people on the phone or you can’t follow conversations as well as you once did – among a number of other signs – then it could be that you are experiencing hearing loss. However, this is not necessarily something to worry about as there are many different ways to treat hearing loss, including modern hearing aids. 

Whether you know you have hearing loss or you simply suspect that this might be the case, you should have your hearing tested by an expert audiologist. You will then have a concrete diagnosis and can create a plan to improve or treat your hearing. 

The hearing test itself is often felt to be somewhat mysterious, but it doesn’t have to be. Although it should always be carried out by a professional, it isn’t as complex as it might seem to be at first. 

A Physical Check 

The hearing test will consist of several different checks. One of these is the physical check. This is to determine whether there is any damage to the ear itself which could be the cause of your hearing loss.

The audiologist will do the initial assessment of the outside of the ear and then visual inspection of the inside of the ear will take place. After this, the audiologist will use an otoscope to look deeper into the ear to check the ear canal and eardrum. 

Listening to Tones 

After the visual inspection, you will be asked to wear headphones and listen for different tones to be played. They will be played at different levels, volumes and when you hear one, you will press or click a button. This is recorded, and the audiologist can then see if there is any hearing loss; the more sounds you can hear, the healthier your hearing is. This will also show if one ear is healthier than the other and what kind of hearing loss you are experiencing. 

Listening to Speech 

Another test that is often carried out is to ask the patient to listen to speech at different volumes. Your task during this test will be to repeat the words you hear, if you hear them. Again, this will allow the audiologist to understand what kind of hearing loss you have and how it might be manifesting as well as why it has occurred. 

Follow-up Appointments 

Once all the tests have been carried out, a diagnosis can be made regarding your hearing loss, the type of hearing loss and its severity. Once this is done, you will most likely need to make a follow-up appointment to be fitted for hearing aids if this is necessary or for additional tests after any issues have been dealt with.