5 Things to Know About Hearing Tests

The more you know about hearing tests, the easier it is to schedule an appointment! Some people delay seeing an audiologist for fear of the unknown. But hearing tests are painless and are just as important as your eye exams. If you haven’t had a hearing test in years and years, now is a good time to go. If your work or hobbies expose you to loud noise, you should have your hearing checked annually, regardless of age. Otherwise, if you’re under 60, an exam every three to five years is recommended. If you’re over 60, you should have annual exams. Here are five things to know about hearing tests.

1. There is a physical exam

Audiologists are trained professionals with advanced degrees who do much more than administer hearing tests. They are able to examine your ear canal and eardrums for infection, injury or impacted earwax. Audiologists remove earwax blockages and care for most ear injuries as well as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and balance issues.

2. There is a consultation

Your audiologist will ask you several questions about your medical history, whether any relatives have hearing loss and your medications. Some medicines may cause hearing loss so it’s important that you list all the medications you take, not just prescriptions. You’ll also want to specifically list any ear injuries (current or in the past).

3. Hearing tests are painless

The audio portion of your hearing examination involves two or three tests to check for hearing loss. There is no discomfort at all during these tests. Most audiologists perform pure tone testing and speech testing. The first test involves listening to sounds through headphones in a soundproof room. You hear tones of different volumes and pitches and identify which ear hears those sounds. Speech testing involves listening to different words spoken softly and repeating them back to the examiner. Sometimes conduction tests are performed to check your inner ear.

4. There is no waiting for test results

After your hearing tests, your audiologist shows you a printout with your results. It charts where, if any, hearing loss occurs in each ear and the pitches and volumes you may be missing. If you need hearing aids, these results are used to program the devices to your specific hearing loss. It’s a good idea to ask for a copy of these test results for you to keep with your medical records.

5. The results may surprise you

Even if you were a straight-A student, it’s unlikely you’ll score 100 percent on a hearing test. Your results may be a bit of a shock – some people find their hearing loss is worse than expected. It’s best to keep in mind that these exams help provide guidelines for your audiologist to improve your lifestyle through better hearing. There’s no failure here, only a path to improvement.

Hopefully, these five things to know about hearing tests should help you feel more comfortable about making an appointment with your audiologist.