What to Expect from a Comprehensive Hearing Test

When it comes to hearing tests, it’s important to be aware of the benefits that they bring. Just like any other medical appointment, routine appointments with an audiologist help assess the quality of your hearing, as well as perhaps uncover any underlying problems that might be present.

What can you expect from a comprehensive hearing test? If this is your first time attending a hearing test, then you might feel a little apprehensive about what to expect. This guide will help ease your mind and share the benefits of hearing tests for your hearing health this year.

Sit Down with the Audiologist to Discuss Your Hearing Health

Your audiologist will sit you down to discuss your hearing health currently. Is there anything you’re concerned about? Do you feel like your hearing health is the best it can be? They’ll also likely go through any medical history, including that of your immediate family’s medical history when it comes to hearing-related problems.

What Can You Expect During a Hearing Test?

So, what can you expect when it comes to a hearing test? During a hearing test, you can anticipate a comprehensive evaluation of your auditory health. The process typically involves various assessments, such as pure-tone audiometry, where your ability to hear different tones is measured. Speech audiometry assesses your comprehension of spoken words at different volumes, providing insights into your speech recognition abilities. Tympanometry may be conducted to examine the health of your middle ear by observing how your eardrum responds to changes in air pressure. These tests collectively offer a detailed understanding of your hearing capabilities and serve as a foundation for tailored treatment plans if any issues are identified.

Discussing the Results

After the tests have been carried out, you’ll discuss your results with the audiologist. They may give you a clean bill of health for your hearing or they may highlight what health conditions or hearing loss has been found. They’ll then suggest treatment options like hearing aids or other assistive listening devices.

Exploring Your Options

You’ll likely be offered a number of options depending on the outcome of your results. Audiologists are trained and qualified to assess, diagnose and help fit hearing aids for patients. If you’re someone who requires a hearing aid, you’ll be able to go through the options available to you. The hearing aid options your audiologist will discuss with you are:

• Behind the ear (BTE)
• In the ear (ITE)
• In the canal (ITC)
• Completely in canal (CIC)
• Invisible in canal (IIC)

It’s important to be actively involved in picking out your own hearing aids, especially when it comes to finding the right type for you and your hearing. Fortunately, your audiologist can talk you through each one individually to cater to your needs as well as the budget you have available.

Attend Fittings and Follow-Up Care

Once you’ve selected your hearing aids, you’ll then get fitted for the hearing aids which will then be configured to your liking. Follow-up care will allow for adjustments and cleanings of your hearing aids. Your audiologist will show you the steps to follow to clean your hearing aids and maintaining optimal performance.

The Benefits of Hearing Tests

What benefits come from having a hearing test? Well, just like any medical appointment, there are many advantages to getting a routine hearing test. Whether you’ve had one before or this is your first time, here are some of the benefits that you get when it comes to a hearing test:

• Helps uncover underlying ear-related medical conditions.
• Prevents further hearing loss from occurring.
• Beneficial to remove excess earwax.
• You’ll be able to hear sounds you’re missing.

With a regular and routine hearing test, your audiologist will be able to uncover any underlying ear-related medical conditions that would otherwise go undiagnosed. It also helps to prevent further hearing loss if there’s evidence of it already.

A build-up of earwax can be dangerous for both the quality of hearing and ear health, which is where hearing tests can be of assistance. Finally, when it comes to a hearing test, you’ll likely be able to hear sounds that you’re missing if you have hearing loss. There are some great benefits of hearing tests that make it worthwhile to schedule with an audiologist. Hearing tests are a way of checking the health of your hearing in general.

Speak to an Audiologist About Your Hearing Concerns

If you have any concerns about your hearing, then the first thing to do is schedule an appointment with an audiologist. Here at Atlantic Audiology, we’ve helped many patients both first-time and regulars, address any of their hearing health concerns. Why not get scheduled for a hearing test with an audiologist today? Give us a call at (401) 262-0170 for more information on how we can help.