Diagnosing hearing loss by yourself is basically impossible. For example, you can’t actually put your ear up to a speaker and effectively evaluate what you hear. So getting a hearing test will be crucial 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 easy as putting on a high-tech pair of headphones.
But we get it, no one likes tests. Tests in general are no fun for anybody of any age. Taking some time to become familiar with these tests can help you feel more prepared and, therefore, more comfortable. A hearing test is probably the easiest test you’ll ever take!
What is a hearing test like?
We frequently talk about making an appointment with a hearing specialist to get your ears tested. And we’ve likely used the phrase “hearing test” once or twice. You might even be thinking, well, what are the 2 types of hearing tests?
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 measure something different or give you a specific result. The hearing tests you’re most likely to encounter include the following:
- Pure-tone audiometry: This is the hearing test you’re likely most familiar with. You put on some headphones and you listen for a sound. You just raise your right hand if you hear a pitch in your right ear, and if you hear a tone in your left ear you put up your left hand. This will test your ability to 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: In some cases, you’re able to hear tones very well, but hearing speech remains something challenging. Speech is typically a more complex audio spectrum so it can be more difficult to hear clearly. When you’re having a speech audiometry test, you’ll be brought into a quiet room and will, once again, be instructed to don some headphones. Instead of making you listen to tones, this test will be comprised of audible speech at various volumes to identify the lowest level you’re able to hear a word and still comprehend it.
- Speech and Noise-in-Words Tests: Of course, real-world conversations almost never occur in a vacuum. The only real difference between this test and the Speech audiometry test is that it is carried out in a noisy setting. 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 functioning will be determined by this test. Two small sensors are placed, one on your forehead, and one on your cochlea. Sound is then sent through a small device. How efficiently sound vibrations travel through the ear is measured by this test. If this test determines that sound is traveling through your ear effectively it could indicate that you have a blockage.
- Tympanometry: Occasionally, we’ll want to test the general health of your eardrum. This is done 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 identify that.
- Acoustic Reflex Measures: During this test, a tiny device supplies sound to your ear and observes the muscle response of your inner ear. It all occurs by reflex, which means that the movements of your muscles can reveal a lot about how well your middle ear is working.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): An ABR test attempts to measure how well the brain and inner ear are reacting to sound. To achieve this test, a couple of electrodes are tactically placed on 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 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 properly or there’s an obstruction, this test will reveal it.
What can we learn from hearing test results?
You most likely won’t need to get all of these hearing tests. Generally, your specific symptoms will dictate which of these tests will be suitable.
What do we look for in a hearing test? Well, sometimes the tests you take will uncover the underlying cause of your hearing loss. In other circumstances, the test you take may simply eliminate other possible causes. Whatever hearing loss symptoms you’re dealing with will ultimately be determined.
Here are a few things that your hearing test can uncover:
- Whether you’re experiencing symptoms associated with hearing loss or hearing loss itself.
- How severe your hearing loss is (or, if you’ve taken numerous tests over the years, how your hearing loss may have progressed).
- Which treatment approach is best for 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.
Is there any difference between a hearing screening and a hearing test? It’s kind of like the difference between a quiz and a test. A screening is rather superficial. A test is designed to supply usable information.
It’s best to get tested as soon as you can
So as soon as you observe symptoms, you need to schedule a hearing test. Relax, you won’t have to study, and the test isn’t stressful. And the tests aren’t painful or invasive. If you’re wondering, what you shouldn’t do before a hearing test, don’t worry, we will have all of that information for you.
Which means hearing tests are pretty easy, all you need to do is schedule them.