Most Common Hearing Tests

Have you been thinking about getting a hearing test? That’s cool. Now, how long have you been thinking about it? A while, right? But how long is a while in your case? Months? Years? Decades? Don’t worry, this post is not meant to disparage you. Far from it. And the truth is, you’re far from alone. Many of us nurture a creeping suspicion that we may be afflicted by hearing loss but can take our sweet time when it comes to acting upon it. Why? There is a multitude of reasons.

In some cases, we may be in denial. Because of the slow, creeping nature of hearing loss, most of us don’t realize that we’ve been affected by it until we’ve already been unknowing sufferers for years. Indeed, some of us can even find ourselves in denial, refusing to entertain the possibility that we might experience hearing loss for years. Some of us may also worry about the nature of hearing testing itself. We fear that hearing tests may be painful, invasive, humiliating or uncomfortable. In our anxiety, we may be put off even entertaining the notion of a hearing test.

As in all things, when it comes to hearing testing there’s really nothing to fear. Here, we’ll take a close look at the various forms of testing used by audiologist and hearing care specialists. By familiarizing yourself with what you can expect at your appointment, you can go into your hearing test free of any kind of hesitation or anxiety.

Prepare and research

An audiologist will want to familiarize themselves with your family and medical history before they begin testing for your hearing loss. They will check your medical history for head trauma and head or neck injuries because these can contribute to or even cause hearing loss. They will also check your family history for genetic conditions such as Meniere’s disease. This can cause hearing loss, as well as tinnitus, loss of balance and nausea. Getting to know your family and medical history is the first step towards an efficacious diagnosis.

Otoscopy testing

This is one of the most common forms of testing for the causes of hearing loss. Your audiologist will take a close look at your eardrum and ear canal using a tool called an otoscope. They will use this to look for telltale signs that could contribute to hearing loss like wax buildup, deposits of hardened wax or obstructions like foreign objects which can get lodged in the ear canal. They will also check the eardrum itself for signs of infection or rupture.

Tympanometry testing

The tympanometry test is a test of middle ear function. Here your audiologist will identify any abnormalities in the inner ear fluid that may contribute to hearing loss. They will also ensure that the eardrum is free to move unimpeded. A tiny amount of pressure is applied to the eardrum to gauge its response. This kind of testing is effective in identifying excess fluid, infection or Eustachian tube dysfunction.  

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing

An ABR test is designed to test that the neural pathways for hearing are working normally. Here electrodes are placed on your head and your brain’s response to sound stimuli is measured.

Audiometry test

An audiometry test is a test to determine the extent of the hearing loss rather than its cause. You will be placed in a quiet room and don a pair of noise-canceling headphones. A series of tones are played back into each ear. The tones begin at a very low volume and get progressively louder. You will press a button to indicate to your audiologist which tones you can hear and which you cannot. This will help the audiologist to identify which frequencies are lacking. This data will be used to calibrate a hearing aid for you.

Speech testing

This is a very specific form of audiometry testing. Again, you are placed in a room with noise-canceling headphones. However, instead of being played tones you, the audiologist will say words to you which you will have to repeat. This will determine your capability of understanding speech. Sometimes, background noise will be mixed into the audio feed or the speech test will take place in a noisy or busy environment. This will help to determine your ability to understand speech in noisy or distraction-filled environments.

If you’d like to know more about the kinds of hearing tests we offer our patients, ENT Physicians Inc. would be delighted to hear from you. Call us today at (419) 318-4987 to learn more or arrange a hearing test appointment.