How an Audiologist Tests Your Hearing

Are you having issues with your hearing? If you have lately found yourself struggling to hear the TV or even people speaking directly to you, you might need to consider getting your hearing checked out. It’s actually quite common for the first sign of hearing difficulty to be noticed by someone other than the person experiencing it. This could be a family member, a friend or even a colleague and they may notice that you are talking more loudly than usual. Even if you are not bothered about losing levels of your hearing, it’s always necessary to investigate this. It’s quite possible that it points to a more serious problem. This will typically involve an audiologist checking your hearing. But how does this work and what will it involve?

A self-assessment

The first step of a hearing test will usually be a self-assessment. An audiologist will ask you to complete a questionnaire about your past medical history as well as any issues that you might have had which could explain your hearing trouble. This might include medication as well as any illnesses or conditions that run in your family. Depression, for instance, has been linked to issues with hearing loss. As this is psychological, a hearing test will not always reveal a physical cause. Once you have completed a self-assessment, a hearing test will then typically be conducted in full.

Physical examination

An audiologist will also want to make sure that there are no physical issues causing problems with your ears. This could be anything from a buildup of ear wax to a growth. To check for this, they might insert a small camera through your ear canal to look for any blockages.

Hearing tests

The next step is a full listening examination. With a listening examination, an audiologist will check what sounds and pitches you can and can’t hear. Usually, this will involve sitting in a soundproof booth with headphones on. An audiologist will play a noise at a certain pitch or volume and you will be asked to click a buzzer if you can hear it. It’s important to respond to these cues as accurately as possible to provide them with a good idea of the state of your hearing. In some cases, an audiologist may also test your ability to hear certain words or speech too. These exams are non-invasive and will provide the audiologist with an audiogram of your hearing abilities. This allows the audiologist to recommend the best course of treatment if necessary.

Visiting an audiologist is important to your overall hearing health. Even if a hearing loss is not present, they will be able to establish a baseline that can be used to evaluate your hearing over time.