Hearing tests can be performed routinely on people of any age to determine their hearing level and see if they have any hearing difficulty that might warrant treatment or other hearing care solutions.
These hearing tests may be a part of your general checkup or one that a doctor recommends after checking you or your children. But because it’s not something that you do all the time, it’s natural that you feel a bit anxious about it. If you want to know what you can expect from a hearing test, read on as Hear More Associates shares some information on the topic:
What Could Be Affecting Your Hearing?
Living in today’s world, it’s not surprising that so many people suffer from hearing problems. Noisy vehicles, the constant use of gadgets and headphones, and many other things contribute to such hearing difficulties.
Hearing problems may start when the hairs lining your inner ear get damaged. Since they are responsible for the transfer of sound waves, any damage to these hairs can cause problems. Even when they just flatten, they can fail to work correctly, and that could lead to temporary hearing loss.
Apart from that, various infections and trauma can also cause hearing loss. For example, tinnitus or ringing in your ears can affect your hearing, as can an earwax buildup. Aging can also be a factor as certain parts of the ear can stop working optimally.
What Can You Expect from a Hearing Test?
So, you are referred to an audiologist. You’d definitely want to know what will happen during the test and if perhaps you can do something to prepare for it.
First, you’ll have a consultation where you can discuss with the expert the symptoms you are experiencing and any history that might contribute to these symptoms.
The test will then start with an ear pressure test or tympanometry. This will check the acoustics of the middle ear, which plays a significant role in your hearing. This test will detect any fluid or infection that could be causing problems.
After that, a video examination of the ears will be done. A tiny camera is placed into the ear canal to get a clearer look inside the ears to determine any potential issue. Whether that’s inflammation, a foreign matter, or something else – a thorough check of the inner part of the ear can help the audiologist pinpoint the cause of your problems.
A word list test may also be performed to see how you can improve the hearing of speech. Finally, an actual test of hearing using different sounds, tones, and frequencies, will be done. You will be asked to wear headphones for this test.
Once the tests are complete, your audiologist will discuss the results with you and provide treatment recommendations.
Conclusion
As you can see, there’s nothing you need to be worried about. Hearing tests don’t hurt at all, and they are undoubtedly helpful in determining the cause of the hearing problems you or your child is experiencing. Whether you are experiencing a ringing in your ear, feeling pain inside, or losing your hearing suddenly or slowly, it is essential to get a hearing test done. This way, the problem can be determined early, and hopefully, it can be corrected, or you could be provided with the right hearing care solutions, be they in the form of drops or tools like a hearing aid.
Hear More Associates is the best hearing clinic offering services to patients from Lexington and Greater Boston. Contact us today to set an appointment or to learn more about our services!
