What to Expect During Your Hearing Test

Do you have hearing loss? If so, then you might be wondering what to expect during your hearing test.

Hearing Evaluation

A hearing evaluation helps determine the cause of hearing loss and if you can do anything about it. The assessment is usually conducted before recommending hearing aids, although some people are just interested in what they hear with their ears without any intervention. An audiologist performs the hearing test and then may ask questions about your health history to determine a proper diagnosis.

After the evaluation is complete, you should better understand what's affecting your hearing loss, whether its cause is age or other factors such as noise exposure.

Hearing Tests

A hearing test can help you diagnose several conditions, such as congenital deafness and chronic ear infections. It can also reveal certain risk factors for developing other health problems in the future, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. 

When conducting this type of exam, your audiologist may ask questions about your family history and what kinds of activities you're involved in. A hearing test will usually take about 45 minutes and may require you to identify words that have been played backward or muffled.

Hearing Aids Demonstration

During your hearing test, you should expect a hearing aid demonstration. This step involves placing hearing aids in your ears, and a person will talk to you from various distances. Your audiologist will also ask you to try out a few different hearing aids to see what is going on with your hearing and determine the correct type of aid for you. Once this is determined, you will discuss microphone placement and how sound quality should sound in various environments. The test will also include figuring out where the hearing loss is coming from and what kind of device would best suit your needs.

Fitting of Hearing Aids

The hearing aid fitting process begins by placing a sound field around the entire ear and then detecting how the person responds to different noise levels. The objective is for that person's response in those areas to be more precise than surrounding sounds. This measurement can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the individual's hearing loss and what they are testing for.

If you've just been diagnosed with hearing loss, don't panic. A simple hearing test can help determine the severity of your condition and whether or not treatment is needed

Hearing tests are quick, painless and can give you peace of mind that all is well. The best way to find out if your hearing loss has a severe cause or needs some time to heal itself is by taking the test as soon as possible. Today's technology allows for more accurate results and can help you understand your condition more thoroughly.