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Hearing Loss Testing – What To Expect When You Visit

By gahear on April 19, 2022 in Hearing Loss

If you’re visiting an audiologist for a hearing test for the first time, you may have many questions. There are many different tests that an audiologist may use to determine your hearing levels, but all of them are simple and painless. Here’s what to know about hearing loss testing and what you can expect.

Your Medical History

When arriving at your audiologist for the first time, you will fill out an extensive history of your hearing health. The history will cover a broad range of topics, including previous diagnoses of hearing loss, head injuries, current symptoms, and family history. They will also want to know important work history, as working in a loud environment may lead to hearing loss after prolonged exposure.

Types of Testing

There are many different types of tests that your audiologist may conduct. When you arrive at the clinic, you should expect to undergo at least one test to formally diagnose the presence of hearing loss. There is not one simple test to diagnose hearing loss- there are actually a variety of types of hearing loss. Here are a few examples of tests that you may experience:

• Pure-tone audiometry: During this test, you will listen to a variety of tones. The tones will be presented at a variety of pitches and volumes.
• Speech audiometry: Speech audiometry involves listening to a variety of words, phrases, and sentences. Again, the audiologist will determine the lowest volume at which you can still understand the words you hear. You will be asked to repeat what you hear back to the audiologist.
• Speech in noise/words in noise tests: This test involves listening to words and sentences with noise in the background. It is meant to simulate listening to a conversation in a noisy environment, such as a restaurant or church setting. During this test, the volume of the speaker and the background noise will both be adjusted to determine your threshold.
• Tympanometry: Tympanometry involves the use of air and sound to measure your eardrum’s response.

Interpreting Your Results

After you receive your results, you may wonder how to understand them. Results typically come in the form of an audiogram, which shows your hearing levels at different pitches and volumes. Your audiologist can help you determine results and read your audiogram. However, as a general rule, a hearing threshold between 0 and 25 dB is considered normal while anything above 25 dB is considered hearing loss.

Schedule a Consultation

If you’re concerned about your hearing or if you need an adjustment to your hearing aids, consider visiting a professional to discuss your hearing needs. Georgia Hearing Aid Factory Outlet services 3 locations in Cobb County, Athens, and Dawsonville, Georgia. Schedule a consultation appointment with our team today to discuss your hearing needs or to fit a hearing aid.