A hearing test is a critical step in determining the state of your hearing health and beginning treatment for hearing loss, if necessary. It’s estimated that almost 30 million American adults could benefit from hearing aids1, and you’ll need a hearing test to determine if you’re one of them. We understand that a new health procedure might be a little intimidating, so we’ve compiled a quick guide on what to expect!
The Difference Between a Hearing Screening and a Professional Hearing Test
In all likelihood, you’ve had a hearing screening done before at school, work or a routine health check-up with your primary care provider. It’s important to note that a hearing screening in settings like these is not the same as a professional hearing test with an audiologist.
A hearing screening functions much like a pass-or-fail test: it will tell you whether your hearing is inside or outside the “normal” hearing range. While wearing headphones, you’ll hear a series of tones and indicate if you can hear them by raising your hand. A hearing screening can determine if something is amiss with your hearing ability, but it cannot determine any specifics.
A professional hearing test will look somewhat similar at first, as it also involves listening to tones through headphones, but a hearing test will measure your precise hearing thresholds (the softest volume at which you can hear each pitch), the severity of your hearing loss, whether you have hearing loss in one ear or both, the type and even, in some cases, the cause of your hearing loss. Ultimately, a professional hearing test will grant a more comprehensive view of your hearing health, and your audiologist can use the results to craft a hearing loss treatment plan for you.
Consultation for Personalized Care
When you come in for a professional hearing test at Kampsen Hearing, we’ll start with a consultation to get to know you and discuss any aspects of your lifestyle that could impact your hearing health, such as your profession, social life, hobbies, medical history and family hearing history. This is another facet of a professional hearing test that you cannot get at a screening.
Thorough Hearing Health Examination
Next, we will conduct examinations of your ears and hearing ability. There is a wide range of tests that may be performed at this step. Depending on what was discussed in the consultation, we may perform any number of examinations. Here are some:
- Pure-tone test, which measures hearing thresholds. This is the most common hearing test.
- Bone conduction test, which determines whether your hearing loss is conductive (occurring in the outer or middle ear) or sensorineural (occurring in the inner ear).
- Speech test, which tests listening comprehension and auditory processing abilities when listening to speech.
- Tympanometry, which measures how your eardrum moves when hit by a sound wave.
Results and Guidance with You in Mind
Once we have your audiogram—a printout of your hearing test results that creates a visual of your hearing health—we can use it to explain your hearing health to you and make recommendations on possible hearing loss treatments, such as hearing aids or other treatments. Our recommendations will be personalized to your precise hearing loss needs and take your lifestyle into account. This personalized care is a cornerstone of a hearing healthcare plan.
Get Started Today
If you believe you’re in the beginning stages of hearing loss, don’t wait to get a hearing test. Contact Kampsen Hearing today to schedule a professional hearing test and begin your treatment journey.
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1 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2021, March 25). Quick Statistics About Hearing. NIDCD: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing