Hearing loss is challenging, if not impossible, to self-diagnose. To illustrate, you can’t really evaluate your level of hearing by simply putting your ear near a speaker. So getting a hearing test will be vital in understanding what’s happening with your hearing.
But there’s no need to be concerned or stress out because a hearing test is about as easy as putting on a high-tech set of headphones.
But we get it, people don’t like tests. Tests are generally no fun for anyone of any age. Taking a little time to become familiar with these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more comfortable. A hearing test is about the simplest test you’ll ever have to take!
What is a hearing test like?
Talking about making an appointment to have a hearing test is something that isn’t that unusual. And we’ve likely used the phrase “hearing test” once or twice. Perhaps, you’ve heard that there are two kinds of hearing tests and you’re wondering what they are all about.
Well, that’s slightly misleading. Because you may undergo a few different types of hearing tests, as it turns out. Each of them is designed to assess something different or give you a specific result. The hearing tests you’re most likely to experience include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: This is the hearing test you’re likely most familiar with. You put on some headphones and you listen for a sound. Hear a tone in your right ear? Put up your right hand. Hear the tone in your left ear? Same thing! This will test your ability to hear a variety of wavelengths at a variety of volumes. 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 really well, but hearing speech is still something challenging. Speech is generally a more complex audio range so it can be harder to hear clearly. When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be brought into a quiet room and will, once again, be instructed to don some headphones. Instead of making you listen to tones, this test will consist of audible speech at various volumes to detect the lowest level you’re able to hear a word and still comprehend it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Obviously, conversations in real-time occur in settings where other sounds are present. 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 figure out how well your hearing is functioning in real-world situations.
- Bone conduction testing: This diagnostic is created to measure the performance of your inner ear. Two little sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and one on your cochlea. A small device then receives sounds. How efficiently sound vibrations move through the ear is tracked by this test. If this test determines that sound is traveling through your ear effectively it could indicate that you have a blockage.
- Tympanometry: Sometimes, we’ll want to check the general health of your eardrum. This is done using a test called tympanometry. 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 indicate whether there’s a hole in your eardrum, fluid behind your eardrum membrane, and more.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: A tiny device measures the muscle feedback of your inner ear after delivering sound to it. It all occurs by reflex, which means that your muscle movements can reveal a lot about how well your middle ear is working.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): The ability of your inner ear and brain to respond to sound is measured by an ABR test. To achieve this test, a couple of electrodes are strategically placed on your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is totally painless. That’s why people from newborns to grandparents get this test.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This type of testing will help determine if your inner ear and cochlea are working properly. It does this by measuring the sound waves that echo back from your inner ear into your middle ear. This can determine whether your cochlea is working or, in some situations, if your ear is blocked.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
You probably won’t need to get all of these hearing tests. Usually, your particular symptoms will dictate which of these tests will be suitable.
What are we looking for in a hearing test? Well, in some cases the tests you take will reveal the underlying cause of your hearing loss. The hearing test you get can, in other instances, simply help us eliminate other causes. Ultimately, we will get to the bottom of any hearing loss symptoms you are noticing.
Generally, your hearing test will reveal:
- Whether your hearing loss is in a particular frequency range.
- The best strategy for treating your hearing loss: Once we’ve determined the cause of your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more effectively provide treatment options.
- Whether you are suffering from hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms related to hearing loss.
- How much your hearing loss has advanced and how significant it is.
What is the difference between a hearing test and a hearing screening? The difference between a quiz and a test is a good comparison. A screening is rather superficial. A test is a lot more in-depth and can supply usable information.
It’s best to get tested as soon as you can
So as soon as you detect symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Take it easy, you won’t need to study, and the test isn’t stressful. 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.