Like with almost every other aspect of your health, it’s important to stay on top of your hearing ability. By the time you notice that you may have sustained significant hearing loss, it is probably too late to restore your hearing ability to how it once was. For this reason, it’s important that we schedule regular hearing evaluations. For most people, we recommend one every few years. Curious about how we carry out hearing tests? Here is what you can expect.
Are you due for a hearing evaluation? Here’s what you can expect.
A Few Questions
When you visit Bay Area Audiology for a hearing evaluation, you can expect to be asked a few questions before the assessment itself begins. This is so that we can gain a better sense of your risk of hearing loss, as well as if you are experiencing symptoms already.
Here are just a few of the questions we might ask:
- Have you experienced head or ear trauma in recent years?
- What do you do for a living? (this is to see if you have exposure to loud noises at work!)
- Do you regularly use headphones or attend loud events?
Asking questions along these lines doesn’t just help us get to know you; it can help us understand your risk of hearing loss. After all, a practically limitless amount of factors can contribute to hearing damage.
Then, it’s onto the testing.
Pure-Tone Hearing Test
Pure-tone audiometry is the quintessential hearing test. You will have to put on headphones. Then, we will ask you to raise your hand or press a button when you hear a sound. As you might have guessed based on the name, this form of hearing evaluation tests your ability to hear sounds at a wide variety of tones, frequencies, and volumes. Listen carefully!
Speech Hearing Test
Speech hearing tests, also known as speech audiometry, test exactly what you’d imagine: your comprehension of speech. Most often, this consists of recorded speech. Typically, the background during this form of hearing test is quiet, but sometimes background noise is added. This is what’s known as a ‘speech in noise’ test, or SIN. Of course, this generally makes it more difficult to repeat back the words being spoken, but it is more accurate to situations you’d experience in your everyday life.
These are just two of the most commonly used hearing tests. But no matter what form of test you experience, you can rest assured that they are all painless and non-invasive. The important thing is just to get it done!
Contact Bay Area Audiology Today for Your Hearing Evaluation
Ready to do something about your hearing loss? Our Doctor of Audiology, Dr. Trisha A. Bents Muth, is exceptionally experienced in the art of audiology, and provides the absolute best solutions. Bay Area Audiology has been working to give patients a comfortable environment with thorough evaluations. We are independently owned, and unbiased when it comes to finding you the care you need.
You can always come into the office or contact us in advance to set up an appointment. We also provide updates on our social media websites. You can check out our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest to keep up with Bay Area Audiology.
Don’t hesitate–we can help.