Hearing Evaluation
What happens during a hearing evaluation?
Case history - First, your audiologist will ask you a few questions to discover the specific types of environments in which you may be experiencing hearing difficulties and any related medical history.
Otoscopy - Next, your audiologist will look into your ears with an otoscope. This instrument is used to see the ear canal and the eardrum to determine whether or not there is earwax obstructing the canal. Sometimes the audiologist will have a video otoscope, so you can see inside your ear as well.
What does a hearing test tell us?
- Whether or not a hearing loss exists
- The degree and type of hearing loss
- The possible cause of the hearing loss
- The best treatment options
Tympanometry - an examination used to test the condition of the middle ear and mobility of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the middle ear bones, by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal.
Audiometric Test - a series of low to high frequency sounds are presented at different volumes to determine your hearing threshold (the softest level you can hear). You will also be asked to repeat several words. The results will help us determine your degree of hearing loss, the type of hearing loss, your ability to understand speech, and if hearing aids will help you.
Once testing is completed your audiologist will review the results with you and discuss how it relates to your day to day life. Treatment options will be discuss and possibly demonstrated.