How to Understand the Results of Your Hearing Test

If you have been experiencing hearing loss for some time, it’s only natural that you want solutions. Some degree of hearing loss is experienced by approximately 48-million Americans, so no matter your experiences, you aren’t alone in feeling like you want things to get better.

After you have had your hearing tested by a hearing care provider, you will await your results eagerly. When you receive them, it is important that you understand them fully, so you can work with the hearing professional to come up with the best treatment plan for you.

In this blog we will give you three tips to understand the results of your hearing test!

Ask as many questions as possible

Your hearing healthcare provider will explain the results of your tests to you directly, but nevertheless, it can still be tricky to understand the complexities of the results. Hearing exams test the middle and inner ears for vibrations and emissions that will give your hearing health professional an idea of how much hearing loss you have, and even the cause of it.

When you receive your hearing test results, ensure you ask as many questions as you can think of. Don’t be afraid to ask too much – it’s your life and your health, so go ahead and ask away.

Some helpful questions to ask about your hearing test results are:

• Is this hearing loss likely to last a long time?
• Can you tell what caused the hearing loss?
• What are my treatment options?
• Can I get a hearing aid for this type of hearing loss?

Get a second opinion

There is no harm in getting a second opinion on your hearing test results. After all, hearing health professionals are only human, and it can only serve to deepen your understanding of the hearing loss to get another opinion. 

In some cases, it is entirely clear what has caused the hearing loss and how it should be approached. In this instance, it may not be worth getting a second opinion – if the answer is plain as day. However, some results are more subtle and less obvious, which may warrant asking another specialist for their take on the situation.

Do plenty of research

If your hearing loss is a long-term symptom, it’s time to do lots of research. There are different types of hearing aids available, such as:

• Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, which sit behind the outer ear and are best for severe hearing loss.
• In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, which sit in the outer bowl at the entrance of the ear.
• In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids, the least visible kind, sit inside the ear canal and are best for mild hearing loss.

By doing research into your type of hearing loss, and the treatments available, you can be sure to get the best possible outcome from your hearing test. Ultimately, a hearing test is there to provide you with the answers you have been searching for, and doing your own research will only strengthen your resolution even further!