What to Expect During Your Hearing Test

If you know what to expect from your hearing test, you can go to your appointment with a lot more confidence. Hearing tests are important for keeping your hearing health in good shape, especially for older people who are more likely to lose their hearing. A hearing test once a year can help find not only hearing problems but also other problems that might be related. Even though each hearing test provider may do things a little differently, most of them will follow the same pattern. Here’s what you can expect from a hearing test.

Before Your Test

Most of the time, you will have to go through an intake procedure and talk to your hearing health professional before your test. You will be required to fill out some forms about your medical history, insurance, any medications you take and any symptoms or worries you might have about your ears or hearing. You will have a short conversation with your hearing health provider about the data you have given, and they will tell you a little bit about the tests they will do. Now is a good time to ask about your hearing test if you still have questions.

Visual Inspection

Before giving you a hearing test, your hearing health professional will look in your ears to make sure they are healthy. They will look at the inside of your ears with a tool called an otoscope to see if there are any problems or things that don’t look right. They will also check to see if you have too much earwax, which can be a simple and easy-to-treat cause of hearing problems.

Hearing Tests

For your hearing exam, you’ll have to take a few different tests. The purpose of each test is to determine whether a specific component of your ear or your overall hearing capacity is working properly. The tests will examine your ability to hear tones of varying pitches and loudness, as well as your eardrum and middle ear function and your ear muscle’s ability to protect your ear from harsh noises.

All of the tests are non-invasive and painless. Certain ones would need headphones, while others might employ equipment that generate vibrations or blow air in your ear. You may be asked to repeat phrases and words that you hear during a speech exam.

Discussing the Results

After your hearing tests, it’s time to talk about what they showed. You should be able to see the results right away. You don’t have to leave and come back another day. You will talk your hearing health professional about what your test results say and if they show that you might need hearing aids or that there are other problems that need to be fixed. If you do need hearing aids, you can talk about how they might help improve your hearing and your way of life.

It’s important to pay attention to the results of your hearing test, as there could be some important information that will help you improve your hearing or make the most of the hearing you still have.