Diagnosing hearing loss by yourself is basically impossible. As an example, you can’t really measure your level of hearing by merely putting your ear next to a speaker. So getting a hearing test will be crucial in figuring out what’s going on 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.
Okay, tests aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Whether you’re a student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are just generally no fun. Taking a little time to become familiar with these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more relaxed. A hearing test is probably the simplest test you’ll ever take!
What is a hearing test like?
We frequently talk about making an appointment with a hearing specialist to have your hearing assessed. And the phrase “hearing test” is something we’ve probably discussed occasionally. You may even be thinking, well, what are the two types of hearing tests?
Well, that’s not exactly accurate. Because you may undergo a few different kinds 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: Most individuals are most likely familiar with this hearing test. You listen for a sound on a pair of headphones. Hear a pitch in your right ear? Put up your right hand. Hear the pitch in your left ear? Same thing! This will test how well you 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, hearing speech is a challenge for you despite the fact that you can hear tones clearly. Speech is generally a more complex audio range so it can be harder to hear clearly. This test also is comprised of a pair of headphones in a quiet room. Instead of making you focus on tones, this test will consist of audible speech at various volumes to detect the lowest level you can hear a word and still understand it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Obviously, conversations in real-time take place in settings where other sounds are present. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same procedure as speech audiometry, but the test occurs in a noisy room rather than a quiet one. This can help you figure out how well your hearing is functioning in real-world scenarios.
- Bone conduction testing: How well your inner ear is working will be established by this test. Two little sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and the other on your cochlea. Sound is then sent through a small device. How efficiently sound vibrations move through the ear is tracked by this test. This test can often identify whether there is a blockage in your ear (ex: if you’re unable to hear, but your inner ear is working perfectly there may be some sort of obstruction hindering the sounds).
- Tympanometry: On occasion, we’ll want to check the overall health of your eardrum. Tympanometry is a test that is utilized for this purpose. During this test, a small device will gently push air into your ear and measure just how much your eardrum moves. The results of this test can reveal whether there’s a hole in your eardrum, fluid behind your eardrum membrane, and more.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: During this test, a tiny device supplies sound to your ear and observes the muscle response of your inner ear. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us identify how well it’s working.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): The ability of your inner ear and brain to react to sound is measured by an ABR test. To achieve this test, a couple of electrodes are tactically placed on your skull. This test is completely painless so don’t worry. That’s why everyone from newborns to grandparents get this test.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This diagnostic is made to measure how well your cochlea and inner ear are functioning. It does this by tracking the sound waves that echo back from your inner ear into your middle ear. If your cochlea isn’t working efficiently or there’s a blockage, this test will detect it.
What can we discover from hearing test results?
It’s likely, you probably won’t undergo every single one of these hearing tests. Generally, your specific symptoms will determine which of these tests will be relevant.
When we test your hearing, what are we looking for? A hearing test can sometimes expose the cause of your hearing loss. In other circumstances, the test you take might just rule out other possible causes. Whatever hearing loss symptoms you’re dealing with will ultimately be determined.
In general, your hearing test will uncover:
- Which frequency of sound you have the hardest time hearing (some people have a difficult time hearing high wavelengths; others have a difficult time hearing low pitches).
- How severe your hearing loss is (or, if you’ve taken multiple tests over the years, how your hearing loss might have advanced).
- The best strategy for treating your hearing loss: Once we’ve determined what’s causing your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more successfully offer treatment solutions.
- Whether you are dealing with hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms associated with hearing loss.
What’s the difference between a hearing test and a hearing screening? It’s sort of like the difference between a quiz and a test. A screening is really superficial. A test is designed to provide usable data.
The sooner you take this test, the better
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. If you’re wondering, what should I not do before you get a hearing test, don’t worry, we will provide you with all of that information.
Which means hearing tests are fairly easy, all you need to do is schedule them.