Diagnosing hearing loss by yourself is pretty much impossible. To illustrate, you can’t really evaluate your level of hearing by merely putting your ear next to a speaker. That means that if you want to know what’s going on with your hearing, you need to take a test.
But there’s no need to be concerned or stress because a hearing test is about as simple as putting on a high-tech pair of headphones.
But we get it, no one likes tests. Whether you’re a high school student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are really just no fun. You will be more comfortable and more ready if you take a little time to get to know these tests. A hearing test is probably the simplest test you’ll ever take!
How is a hearing test done?
We frequently talk about making an appointment with a hearing specialist to get your hearing checked. And the phrase “hearing test” is something we’ve probably talked about from time to time. You may even be thinking, well, what are the two types of hearing tests?
Well, that’s not quite accurate. Because you may 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. Here are a few of the hearing tests you’re likely to encounter:
- Pure-tone audiometry: Most individuals are most likely familiar with this hearing test. You put on some headphones and you listen for a sound. Hear a pitch in your right ear? Put up your right hand. Hear the pitch in your left ear? Same thing! With this, we can figure out 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, 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 with clarity. This test also features a pair of headphones in a quiet room. Instead of making you focus on tones, this test will be comprised 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: Obviously, conversations in the real world occur in settings where there are other sounds. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same process as speech audiometry, but the test occurs in a noisy room rather than a quiet one. This mimics real-world situations to help determine how your hearing is working in those situations.
- Bone conduction testing: How well your inner ear is working will be determined by this test. A little sensor is placed near your cochlea and another is placed on your forehead. Sound is then sent through a small device. How efficiently sound vibrations move through the ear is measured by this test. If this test establishes that sound is moving through your ear effectively it could suggest that you have a blockage.
- Tympanometry: The general health of your eardrum sometimes needs to be tested. Tympanometry is a test that is used for this purpose. During this test, a little device will gently push air into your ear and measure just how much your eardrum moves. If you have fluid behind your eardrum, or a hole in your eardrum, this is the test that will identify that.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: A tiny device measures the muscle response of your inner ear after delivering sound to it. It all happens by reflex, which means that your muscle movements can tell us a lot about how well your middle ear is functioning.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): The ability of your inner ear and brain to respond to sound is measured by an ABR test. This is achieved by placing a couple of strategically placed electrodes on the outside of your skull. Don’t worry, though! This test is completely painless. It’s one of the reasons why ABR testing is used on everyone from grandparents to newborns!
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This type of testing will help determine if your inner ear and cochlea are working effectively. It does this by tracking the sound waves that echo back from your inner ear into your middle ear. This can detect whether your cochlea is working or, in some situations, if your ear is blocked.
What do the results of hearing tests reveal?
You probably won’t need to get all of these hearing tests. Generally, your particular symptoms will determine which of these tests will be appropriate.
What do we look for in a hearing test? Well, sometimes the tests you take will uncover the root cause of your hearing loss. The hearing test you take can, in other cases, simply help us eliminate other causes. Essentially, we will get to the bottom of any hearing loss symptoms you are noticing.
Here are a few things that your hearing test can uncover:
- How serious your hearing loss is (or, if you’ve had multiple tests over the years, how your hearing loss might have advanced).
- The best approach for dealing with your hearing loss: Once we’ve identified the cause of your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more successfully provide treatment solutions.
- Whether your hearing loss is in a particular frequency range.
- Whether you are suffering from 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 rather superficial. A test is a lot more in-depth and can supply usable data.
The sooner you take this test, the better
So as soon as you observe symptoms, you should schedule a hearing test. Don’t worry, this test won’t be very stressful, and you won’t have to study. Nor are hearing tests invasive or generally unpleasant. We will provide you with all of the information about what to do and not to do before your hearing test.
Which means hearing tests are pretty easy, all you need to do is schedule them.
