Self-diagnosing hearing loss is virtually impossible. For example, you can’t actually put your ear up to a speaker and subjectively evaluate what you hear. That means that if you want to know what’s happening with your hearing, you have to take a test.
Now, before you begin sweating or anxiously fidgeting, it’s significant to point out that the majority of hearing tests are quite easy and involve nothing more difficult than putting on a pair of fancy headphones.
Alright, tests aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Whether you’re a student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are really just no fun. Taking a little time to become familiar with these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more comfortable. There’s almost no test easier to take than a hearing test!
What is a hearing test like?
We frequently talk about scheduling an appointment with a hearing specialist to have your ears checked. And the phrase “hearing test” is something we’ve probably talked about from time to time. Maybe, you’ve heard that there are two types of hearing tests and you’re wondering what they’re all about.
Well, that’s not quite accurate. Because it turns out there are a few different hearing tests you might undergo. Each of these tests will provide you with a specific result and is created to measure something different. The hearing tests you’re most likely to encounter include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: Most people are probably familiar with this hearing test. You put on some headphones and you listen for a tone. You just raise your right hand if you hear a pitch in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you raise your left hand. This will test your ability to hear a variety of wavelengths at a variety of volumes. It will also measure whether you have more significant hearing loss in one ear than the other.
- Speech audiometry: In some cases, you can hear tones very well, but hearing speech is still somewhat of a challenge. That’s because speech is typically more complex! When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be brought into a quiet room and will, again, be instructed to put on some headphones. Instead of making you listen to tones, this test will be comprised of audible speech at different volumes to detect the lowest level you’re able to hear a word and still comprehend it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Needless to say, conversations in real-time occur in settings where other sounds are present. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same process as speech audiometry, but the test occurs in a noisy room instead of a quiet one. This mimics real-world situations to help determine how your hearing is working in those situations.
- Bone conduction testing: How well your inner ear is working will be determined by this test. A small sensor is placed next to your cochlea and another is placed on your forehead. Sound is then sent through a small device. This test tracks how well those sound vibrations move through your inner ear. If this test establishes that sound is moving through your ear effectively it may suggest that you have a blockage.
- Tympanometry: The general health of your eardrum sometimes needs to be tested. Tympanometry is a test that is utilized for this purpose. During this test, a little device will gently push air into your ear and measure just how much your eardrum moves. The results of this test can identify whether there’s a hole in your eardrum, fluid behind your eardrum membrane, and more.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: During this test, a tiny device supplies sound to your ear and measures the muscle response of your inner ear. It all happens by reflex, which means that your muscle movements can tell us a lot about how well your middle ear is functioning.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test attempts to measure how well the brain and inner ear are responding to sound. This is achieved by putting a couple of tactically placed electrodes on the outside of your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is entirely painless. It’s one of the reasons why ABR testing is used on everyone from grandparents to newborns!
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This diagnostic is designed to determine how well your cochlea and inner ear are functioning. This is achieved by measuring 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 suit your symptoms and then go from there.
What are we looking for in a hearing test? Well, sometimes the tests you take will expose the root cause of your hearing loss. In other circumstances, the test you take may just rule out other possible causes. Whatever hearing loss symptoms you’re dealing with will ultimately be determined.
In general, your hearing test will reveal:
- Whether your hearing loss is in a specific frequency range.
- How much your hearing loss has progressed and how significant it is.
- The best strategy for treating your hearing loss: We will be more successfully able to address your hearing loss once we’ve determined the cause.
- Whether you are dealing with hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms related to hearing loss.
What’s the difference between a hearing test and a hearing screening? It’s kind of like the difference between a quiz and a test. A screening is very superficial. A test is a lot more in-depth and can supply usable data.
The sooner you get tested, the better
So as soon as you notice symptoms, you should schedule a hearing test. Take it easy, you won’t have to study, and the test isn’t stressful. And the tests aren’t painful or intrusive. We will provide you with all of the information about what to do and not to do before your hearing test.
It’s simple, just call and schedule an appointment.
