Your ears will be visually inspected. This will be carried out by an experienced qualified expert. This will generally start by looking into your ears with a handheld scope, called an otoscope. They will be looking for any signs of abnormalities or medical conditions that could be contributing to your health concerns. It is possible you simply have a build up of ear wax the could be contributing to your hearing loss or may be preventing accurate measurement of your hearing.
The main event! The testing procedure may vary between clinics and depending on you particular hearing issues or concerns. For that reason, don’t be surprised if your testing differs from a friend’s who told you about their hearing test experience. Testing may include:
- A pressure test to check the flexibility of your eardrum and it’s ability to transmit sounds.
- A tone test to measure how softly you can hear tones of different pitches which will be charted on an audiogram.
- A speech test where you will be asked to repeats words and/or sentences you hear at different levels.
After testing, the hearing care professional will discuss your results and make recommendations for next steps. They might make a medical referral to your Primary Care Physician or Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. You might also be recommended a revaluation in a few months to a year.
If a hearing assessment that does not require further evaluation is revealed, you might be recommended to consider hearing aids or other assistive devices. Additional discussions might take place at your assessment or during a second appointment.
