What is Speech Testing?

Are you one of the 48 million Americans with hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common problem, affecting nearly one-third of all Americans. It doesn’t just affect older people, either; hearing loss can affect people of all ages. When going untreated, hearing loss can be a detrimental health condition, causing secondary and tertiary issues including depression, isolation and regression. People who suspect they have hearing loss should make an appointment with an audiologist and undergo hearing loss testing. There are many types of tests a patient may go through, including:

• Pure-tone testing:
• Speech testing
• Tests of the middle ear
• Auditory Brainstem Response
• Otoacoustic Emissions

This article will dive deeper into speech testing.

What is speech testing?

Speech testing is one of the more simple types of hearing loss tests used by audiologists. Speech testing measures the speech reception threshold of each ear. This type of test can be performed on older children and adults and helps to confirm the results of a pure-tone test. Speech testing will record the faintest speech an individual can hear half of the time. Another aspect of speech testing involves word recognition. The audiologist will also record the ability to correctly repeat back words at a comfortable loudness level.

Speech testing can be conducted in either a quiet or a noisy environment, unlike other types of hearing loss tests. A noisy environment can be helpful for an audiologist when determining hearing loss, as many people complain of being unable to distinguish words or hear correctly while in noisy environments.

Each type of test is different, but provides results an audiologist needs to determine the type and degree of hearing loss an individual has. Occasionally, a patient will undergo multiple rounds of testing to ensure the audiologist has a complete look inside how each ear is functioning. From the results, the audiologist will be able to suggest a treatment plan, such as hearing aids.

What happens next?

If your audiologist determines you have hearing loss and would benefit from the use of hearing aids, they will talk about the different models and features available to you. They will walk you through the process and make sure you find the right hearing aids for your particular needs.

Find an audiologist in your area and have your hearing tested today if you suspect you may have hearing loss. Hearing tests are painless, simple and will provide you with the information you need to improve your hearing health.