The hearing test truly is the easy part. The tricky part is accepting your hearing loss and actually reserving the hearing test in the first place.
You have more than likely read the stats by now: 48 million people in the United States suffer from hearing loss but only a minor fraction actually do something about it, and only 20 percent of those who would benefit from hearing aids actually use them.
So if you’ve already set up your hearing test, great job, you’ve already conquered the most significant hurdle to healthier hearing.
The hearing exam, as you’ll witness, is an easy, non-invasive procedure that will ascertain the degree of your hearing loss to help determine the most appropriate course of treatment.
After you first arrive at the office, you’ll begin by submitting some paperwork. Then, you’ll meet with your hearing care provider to talk about your hearing health history.
Your Hearing Health History
Your hearing loss, if existing, can be caused by exposure to loud noise, the natural aging process, or by an underlying condition. You’ll want to exclude any underlying conditions before moving on to the actual hearing exam.
If you have an earwax impaction, as an example, you may very well be hearing better within a few minutes shortly after a professional cleaning. The presence of any other ailments will be evaluated and the appropriate referral made, if necessary.
After analyzing your basic medical history, you’ll discuss your subjection to loud sounds, your hearing loss symptoms, and exactly what you would like to achieve with better hearing.
It’s vital to determine possible causes, how symptoms are adversely affective your life, and how better hearing will enhance your life, which is all things considered the whole point. Be skeptical of the practitioner that doesn’t seem to care about the reasons why you desire to improve your hearing in the first place.
Testing Your Hearing
There’s one additional step to take before starting the hearing test: the visual investigation of the ear with an instrument known as an otoscope. This will help rule out any issues with the ear canal, the eardrum, or the surplus accumulation of earwax.
Next, you’ll be accompanied to a sound-treated room with your hearing care provider. You’ll be required to wear headphones, and the specialist will start to play you some sounds.
You’ll be presented with different sounds at assorted frequencies, and you’ll be requested to identify the quietest sounds you can hear at each pitch. This is labeled your hearing threshold, and the hearing care provider will log these values on a chart known as an audiogram.
The hearing exam might also include speech testing, where you’ll be asked to repeat the words delivered to you. Various types of words, delivered at various volumes with and without background noise, will be presented. This will help establish if hearing aids can assist you with speech understanding.
When the hearing test is completed, your hearing care professional will go over the results with you.
Assessing Your Hearing Test Results
Referring to your audiogram, your hearing care professional will now talk about your hearing in both ears. Based on the results, your hearing will be categorized as normal or as exhibiting mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss.
If a hearing loss is found, the next step is talking about your treatment options. Since there are no existing medical or surgical treatments to restore hearing damage, this means evaluating your hearing aid options.
Present hearing aids come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, at a variety of prices with a number of advanced features. In picking out your hearing aids, it’s crucial to work with an experienced hearing care professional for three main reasons:
- They can help you identify the best hearing aid model to satisfy all of your objectives.
- They can help you determine the advanced features you need—as well as with the ones you don’t—at a price tag that works with your budget.
- They can program your new hearing aids to enhance only the sounds you have difficulty hearing—ascertained by the hearing test—ensuring optimal sound quality.
And that’s it, a fast, simple procedure in return for a lifetime of healthier hearing. We’d say that’s a very good deal.
We look forward to seeing you!