What Can You Expect During a Hearing Test

Have you ever been for a hearing test before? Around a third of adults in the US haven’t, even if they’re experiencing symptoms of hearing loss in their day to day life. This is because many do not know what to expect from hearing tests and what they involve, as hearing health isn’t typically a normal part of someone’s healthcare plan. So, what happens during a hearing test?

Your Medical and Family History

When you visit a new medical professional, you’re often asked to provide your medical history, and it’s the same with an audiologist. You’ll likely need to fill out a form with details about your health, including any past injuries to your head or neck and any medications you’re currently taking. This information is important because some medications are ototoxic, meaning they can harm your hearing. Your audiologist needs to know if you’re taking any of these medications before starting the hearing test. Your audiologist will also want to know if you have a family history of hearing loss.

Visually Examination of Your Ears

An audiologist will conduct a visual inspection of your ears to see if there are any visible abnormalities. The visual inspection is incredibly important to the course of the appointment overall and will allow an audiologist to pick up on things a hearing test may not catch. For example, the visual inspection can result in proper diagnosis of an earwax build up, which may have been unconfirmed by the result of the audiometry test alone.

You’ll Undergo a Sound Test

For most people this is a pure-tone test, but some people may need a bone conduction test to see how well their inner ear is working as well. The audiologist may even recommend a speech audiometry, if you’ve described having trouble in daily conversations. These test will help diagnose any hearing loss you may be experiencing. They can show which frequencies and pitches you may not be able to hear. Hearing tests usually take around half an hour and are non-invasive.

You May Be Recommended Hearing Aids

Once the test is over and your audiologist has received your results, they’ll be able to tell you if you need to wear hearing aids. Hearing aids are the most common and effective way to treat hearing loss, and even those with a mild degree of hearing loss can wear hearing aids to help with their hearing loss.

If you are recommended hearing aids, an audiologist will be able to fit you with a pair during your initial appointment. Once they have fitted your hearing aids properly, you may have to come back to adjust your device to match your specific needs and everything you need to know about caring for them will be discussed by your audiologist.

When to Schedule a Hearing Test

If you haven’t had a hearing test done since you were a child, it might be time to schedule one. Knowing your current hearing level and if you need hearing aids to help can make life a lot more manageable. Talk to an audiologist and schedule an appointment.