Diagnosing hearing loss by yourself is pretty much impossible. For example, you can’t really put your ear next to a speaker and effectively calculate what you hear. So getting your hearing tested will be essential 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 simple as putting on a high-tech set of headphones.
But we get it, people don’t like tests. Tests are generally no fun for anyone of any age. Taking some time to get to know these tests can help you feel more prepared and, therefore, more comfortable. A hearing test is about the simplest test you’ll ever have to take!
What is a hearing test like?
We frequently talk about making an appointment with a hearing specialist to have your hearing tested. And we’ve probably used the phrase “hearing test” once or twice. 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 give you a specific result and is created to measure something different. Here are a few of the hearing tests you’re likely to encounter:
- Pure-tone audiometry: Most people are probably familiar with this hearing test. You put on some headphones and you listen for a tone. You simply put up your right hand if you hear a pitch in your right ear, and if you hear a pitch in your left ear you raise your left hand. With this, we can determine which wavelengths and volumes of sound you can hear. It will also measure whether you have more significant hearing loss in one ear than the other.
- Speech audiometry: In some cases, you’re able to hear tones very well, but hearing speech remains something of a challenge. That’s because speech is typically more complex! When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be led into a quiet room and will, once again, be directed to don 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 can hear a word and still understand it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Needless to say, conversations in the real world happen 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 situations.
- Bone conduction testing: How well your inner ear is working will be established by this test. A small sensor is placed near your cochlea and another is put on your forehead. Sound is then transmitted through a small device. This test measures how well those sound vibrations travel through your inner ear. This test can usually detect whether there is a blockage in your ear (ex: if you’re unable to hear, but your inner ear is working fine there might be some kind of obstruction hindering the sounds).
- Tympanometry: Sometimes, we’ll want to check the general health of your eardrum. Tympanometry is a test that is used for this purpose. 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 detect that.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: A tiny device measures the muscle feedback of your inner ear after sending sound to it. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us determine how well it’s working.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test attempts to measure how well the brain and inner ear are responding to sound. To achieve this test, a couple of electrodes are strategically placed on your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is completely painless. That’s why everyone from newborns to grandparents get this test.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This kind of testing will help identify if your inner ear and cochlea are working effectively. This is achieved by tracking sound that echo’s back to your middle ear from your inner ear. If your cochlea isn’t working properly or there’s an obstruction, this test will reveal it.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
You probably won’t have to get all of these hearing tests. We will select one or two tests that best suit your symptoms and then go from there.
When we do a hearing test, what are we looking for? Well, sometimes the tests you take will uncover the underlying cause of your hearing loss. In other cases, the test you take might just eliminate other possible causes. Whatever hearing loss symptoms you’re experiencing will ultimately be determined.
In general, your hearing test will uncover:
- How much your hearing loss has advanced and how significant it is.
- Whether your hearing loss is in a specific frequency range.
- Which treatment strategy will be best for your hearing loss: We will be more effectively able to address your hearing loss once we’ve established the cause.
- Whether you’re dealing with symptoms related to hearing loss or hearing loss itself.
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 rather superficial. A test is much more in-depth and can supply usable information.
The sooner you take this test, the better
So as soon as you notice symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Relax, you won’t have to study, and the test isn’t stressful. Nor are hearing tests intrusive or generally unpleasant. 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.
