What to Expect at Your Hearing Test

If you’ve got a hearing test booked in, you might be wondering what’s going to happen when you sit down with your audiologist. A hearing test is used to measure how well you can hear. Hearing tests are performed on babies, young children and adults. They can be used routinely to check for problems or to determine the extent of hearing loss if you’re having difficulty hearing. If you are going to see an audiologist in the coming days or weeks, here’s what you can expect from your hearing test.

A chat with your audiologist

Before you participate in any tests or your audiologist gets any equipment or instruments out, you’ll have a brief chat with them. Your audiologist will tell you exactly what’s going to happen during the test, and they’ll also ask you some questions about your hearing, your health and your medical history. You’ll be asked to fill in a form with details of any allergies you have or procedures you’ve had in the past. If you have any questions about the test or about your hearing in general, don’t hesitate to ask your audiologist. It’s important that you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

Examination of the ears

Sometimes hearing loss can be caused by problems such as inflammation and infection or a buildup of wax inside the ear canal. Your audiologist will examine the ears using an otoscope to identify any potential issues, which could be contributing to hearing loss.

Testing your hearing

Once your audiologist has examined your ears, they will start testing your hearing. There are various methods that can be employed. You may be asked to go into a soundproof booth or to put headphones on. A range of sounds and noises will then be played to you, and you’ll be asked to respond if you can hear those sounds. It’s common to be able to process some noises, but to miss others. During the test, you’ll be played a series of different tones to see if you can hear sounds at different pitches. The volume may also be adjusted to see how well you respond to quieter and louder sounds.

You may find that you can only hear the noises when they reach a certain volume. After this test, you may be asked to take part in a short speech test. This involves your audiologist reading a sentence to you and asking you to repeat it. Your audiologist may also use a pressure test to see how flexible your eardrum is and how well it processes sound. All the tests you undertake will be completely painless, and there are no right or wrong answers. Just relax, respond as and when you hear different sounds, and stay calm. Your audiologist is on hand to guide you, and they can also answer any questions you have.

If you’re going to see an audiologist for a hearing test, you may feel anxious or intrigued. Hearing tests are painless and quick, so try and relax. Your audiologist is there to help and guide you, and they will be able to discuss the results with you shortly after the test.