Everything You Need to Know About Hearing Tests

When you need a hearing test, it can feel overwhelming to have all of the options in front of you. A consultation with an audiologist includes a range of different tests and all of them are designed to test how you hear a variety of sounds. Usually, screenings for hearing are recommended for those over the age of 50 but if you have any concerns about your hearing prior to this age, you’re able to book and pay for a hearing test before then.

You need to be prepared for your hearing tests, and knowing the steps will help you to feel ready and as if you can go through your hearing tests with ease. Your audiologist is the best person to talk to when it comes to your hearing, so let’s take a look at everything you need to know about hearing tests.

You’ll Have Your Lifestyle Assessed

The first thing to consider is that your audiologists will talk to you about how you live your life day to day. They’ll ask questions about where you spend your time and whether you are exposed to loud noise. They’ll talk about your work and your time spent outside of the house, too. Knowing all of these things will help them to work a care plan for your hearing.

You’ll Talk About Your Hearing History

Your audiologists need to know your hearing health and its history. Some common questions they’ll ask include questions about hearing loss in your family, whether one or two ears are affected and whether your ears ring or not. They’ll even ask if you had any issues with chronic loud noise in your life, too.

The Consultation

There are several hearing tests involved in a hearing consultation. They’ll start with a visual inspection of your ear and they do this with an otoscope. Next is the tympanometry – an eardrum test. Air and bone conduction testing and word discrimination testing comes next, with signal in noise testing last.

The Results

After you’ve had each of those tests, you’ll be given your results and talked through them with your audiologist. Your audiogram will show how well you can hear.

Hearing Aid Fittings

Once you’ve had your hearing tests and received the results, you will be fitted for a hearing aid by your audiologist. They’ll talk you through all of your options, and they’ll help you to feel comfortable with your hearing aid choice before you go home. They can even work with you on a trial period for your hearing aids, and the next most important thing is fitting those hearing aids and ensuring that you are comfortable. 

Your audiologist will ensure that you get the best hearing aids that are unique to you. You will be taken through all of the features of your hearing aids, too, and you can adjust to them with the help of your audiologist.