Hearing loss is difficult, if not impossible, to self-diagnose. For example, you can’t actually put your ear up to a speaker and effectively measure what you hear. So getting a hearing test will be essential in figuring out what’s happening with your hearing.
But there’s no need to worry or stress out because a hearing test is about as straightforward as putting on a high-tech set of headphones.
Alright, tests aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Whether you’re a student or middle-aged medical patient, tests are really just no fun. Taking a little time to get to know these tests can help you feel more prepared and, as a result, more comfortable. A hearing test is probably the simplest test you’ll ever have to take!
What is a hearing test like?
We often talk about making an appointment with a hearing specialist to have your hearing tested. And we’ve likely used the phrase “hearing test” once or twice. Perhaps, you’ve heard that there are two kinds of hearing tests and you’re wondering what they are all about.
Well, that’s not completely accurate. Because you might undergo a few different kinds of hearing tests, as it turns out. Each of them is made to assess something different or give you a specific result. The hearing tests you’re most likely to experience include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: Most people are probably familiar with this hearing test. You listen for a sound on a pair of headphones. You simply put up your right hand if you hear a tone in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you raise your left hand. This will test how well you hear a variety of frequencies at a variety of volumes. It will also measure whether you have more significant hearing loss in one ear than the other.
- Speech audiometry: Sometimes, you’re able to hear tones very well, but hearing speech is still something of a challenge. Speech is generally a more complex audio spectrum so it can be harder to hear clearly. This test also features a set of headphones in a quiet room. You will listen to speech at various volumes to determine the lowest level you can hear words and clearly comprehend them.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Naturally, real-world conversations almost never happen in a vacuum. A speech and noise-in-words test will go through the same procedure as speech audiometry, but the test takes place in a noisy room rather than a quiet one. This mimics real-world situations to help determine how your hearing is working in those settings.
- Bone conduction testing: This diagnostic is made to measure the function of your inner ear. A little sensor is placed next to your cochlea and another is placed on your forehead. Sound is then transmitted through a small device. How effectively sound vibrations move through the ear is measured by this test. This test can usually detect whether there is an obstruction in your ear (ex: if you can’t hear, but your inner ear is working fine there might be some sort of obstruction hindering the sounds).
- Tympanometry: The overall health of your eardrum sometimes needs to be tested. This is accomplished using a test called tympanometry. During this test, a little device will gently push air into your ear and measure exactly how much your eardrum moves. If you have fluid behind your eardrum, or a hole in your eardrum, this is the test that will reveal that.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: During this test, a tiny device delivers sound to your ear and observes the muscle feedback of your inner ear. The reflexive reaction of the muscle movement of your inner ear will help us discover 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. This is accomplished by placing a couple of tactically 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 people from grandparents to newborns!
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing: This diagnostic is designed to determine how well your cochlea and inner ear are functioning. This is achieved by tracking sound that echo’s back to your middle ear from your inner ear. This can determine whether your cochlea is working or, in some situations, if your ear is blocked.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
Chances are, you probably won’t take every single one of these hearing tests. Generally, your particular symptoms will dictate which of these tests will be appropriate.
When we do a hearing test, what are we looking for? Well, sometimes the tests you take will expose the root cause of your hearing loss. The hearing test you get can, in other cases, simply help us rule out other causes. Ultimately, we will get to the bottom of any hearing loss symptoms you are noticing.
Here are some things that your hearing test can uncover:
- Whether you are dealing with hearing loss or experiencing the symptoms associated with hearing loss.
- Which treatment approach is best for your hearing loss: Once we’ve identified what’s causing your hearing loss, we’ll be able to more effectively offer treatment solutions.
- Whether your hearing loss is in a specific frequency range.
- How much your hearing loss has advanced and how significant it is.
What’s the difference between a hearing test and a hearing screening? The difference between a quiz and a test is a good analogy. A screening is rather superficial. A test is a lot more in-depth and can provide usable data.
The sooner you take this test, the better
That’s why it’s essential to schedule a hearing test as soon as you notice symptoms. Take it easy, you won’t need to study, and the test isn’t stressful. And the tests aren’t unpleasant or intrusive. If you’re wondering, what should I not do before a hearing test, don’t worry, we will have all of that information for you.
Which means hearing tests are fairly easy, all you need to do is schedule them.