When you notice that high-pitched sounds disappear, or that you have trouble understanding the dialogue during a movie at Fort Wayne Cinema Center, it’s time to schedule a hearing test. If you’ve never had a hearing test before, or it’s been a long while since you had one, you may be wondering what happens during the appointment. The process is straightforward and painless, and your hearing specialist will guide you through each step. Here’s what you can expect.
Step 1: The Ear Exam
Your appointment will typically begin with an examination of your ears. Your hearing specialist will look for anything that could affect your ability to hear, such as excess earwax or signs of an ear infection. Physical blockages are known as conductive hearing loss and are usually temporary problems.
To do this, they’ll use an instrument called an otoscope, a small device that allows them to see into your ear canal and examine your eardrum.
Step 2: The Tympanometry
Next, your hearing specialist may perform a test called tympanometry. This test evaluates how well your eardrum and middle ear are functioning.
During tympanometry, your specialist will place a small device called a tympanometer at the opening of your ear canal. The device changes the air pressure in your ear and plays a sound to measure how your eardrum responds.
Step 3: Pure Tone Testing
A pure tone test measures how well you can hear sounds at different pitches and volumes. You’ll sit in a quiet room and wear headphones. Your hearing specialist will play a series of tones that vary in pitch and loudness.
Whenever you hear a tone, you’ll press a button to record that you heard it. Your hearing specialist is looking for the quietest sounds you can detect at different pitches.
Step 4: Reading the Audiogram
As you complete the hearing test, your responses will be recorded on an audiogram. An audiogram is a graph that shows how well you hear sounds across different pitches. Your hearing specialist will review the results to determine whether hearing loss is present and, if so, how significant it is.
Once testing is complete, your hearing specialist will explain your results and answer any questions you have.
Step 5: Treatment Overview
If you have hearing loss, your specialist may recommend hearing aids, cochlear implants, or auditory training. Auditory training typically goes hand in hand with hearing aids or cochlear implants. We typically will not recommend cochlear implants unless you have profound, inner ear hearing loss.
If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing, don’t wait until it gets worse to seek help. Contact Ear, Nose and Throat Associates today to schedule your hearing test.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, November 4). Conductive hearing loss: Symptoms, causes & treatment. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/conductive-hearing-loss