Self-diagnosing hearing loss is virtually impossible. For instance, you can’t actually put your ear up to a speaker and subjectively calculate what you hear. So getting your hearing tested will be vital in figuring out what’s going on with your hearing.
Now, before you start sweating or anxiously fidgeting, it’s significant to mention that most hearing tests are quite easy and involve nothing more taxing than wearing a pair of fancy headphones.
Alright, tests aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Whether you’re a high school student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are really just no fun. Taking a little time to get to know these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more relaxed. A hearing test is probably the easiest test you’ll ever have to take!
How is a hearing test performed?
Talking about making an appointment to have a hearing test is something that isn’t that unusual. And the phrase “hearing test” is something we’ve probably discussed occasionally. You may even be thinking, well, what are the 2 types of hearing tests?
Well, that’s somewhat misleading. Because you might undergo a number of different types of hearing tests, as it turns out. Each of these tests will provide you with a specific result and is designed to measure something different. The hearing tests you’re most likely to encounter include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: This is the hearing test you’re probably most familiar with. You put on some headphones and you listen for a tone. You just raise your right hand if you hear a tone in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you put up your left hand. This will test how well you 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, hearing speech is a problem for you despite the fact that you can hear tones clearly. Speech is typically a more complex audio spectrum so it can be harder to hear with clarity. When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be led into a quiet room and will, again, be directed to put on some headphones. Instead of making you listen to tones, this test will consist of audible speech at different volumes to identify the lowest level you’re able to hear a word and still comprehend it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Of course, real-world conversations almost never take place in a vacuum. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same process as speech audiometry, but the test takes place in a noisy room rather than a quiet one. This can help you determine how well your hearing is functioning in real-world situations.
- Bone conduction testing: This diagnostic is designed to measure the function of your inner ear. Two small sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and one on your cochlea. Sound is then transmitted through a small device. This test measures how well those sound vibrations move through your inner ear. This test can often detect whether there is an obstruction in your ear (ex: if you’re unable to hear, but your inner ear is working perfectly there could be some kind of obstruction hindering the sounds).
- Tympanometry: Sometimes, we’ll want to test 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. If you have fluid behind your eardrum, or a hole in your eardrum, this is the test that will identify that.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: During this test, a tiny device delivers sound to your ear and measures the muscle feedback of your inner ear. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us determine how well it’s functioning.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test attempts to measure how well the brain and inner ear are reacting to sound. To accomplish this test, a couple of electrodes are strategically placed on your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is completely painless. It’s one of the reasons why ABR testing is used on people from grandparents to newborns!
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This diagnostic is made to measure how well your cochlea and inner ear are functioning. It does this by measuring the sound waves that echo back from your inner ear into your middle ear. This can identify whether your cochlea is working or, in some situations, if your ear is blocked.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
It’s likely, you usually won’t undergo every single one of these hearing tests. We will choose one or two tests that best suit your symptoms and then go from there.
When we test your hearing, what are we looking for? A hearing test can sometimes uncover the cause of your hearing loss. The hearing test you take can, in other instances, simply help us rule out other causes. Ultimately, we will get to the bottom of any hearing loss symptoms you are noticing.
In general, your hearing test will reveal:
- How much your hearing loss has progressed and how serious it is.
- Whether your hearing loss is in a particular frequency range.
- Whether you are suffering from hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms related to hearing loss.
- The best strategy for dealing with your hearing loss: We will be more effectively able to address your hearing loss once we’ve established the cause.
What is the difference between a hearing test and a hearing screening? The difference between a quiz and a test is an apt comparison. A screening is rather superficial. A test is made to provide usable information.
The sooner you take this test, the better
So as soon as you notice symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Don’t worry, this test won’t be super stressful, and you won’t have to study. Nor are hearing tests intrusive or generally painful. If you’re wondering, what should I not do before a hearing test, don’t worry, we will provide you with all of that information.
It’s easy, just call and schedule an appointment.
