Hearing Testing To Determine if You Could be Helped by a Hearing Aid

Who Should Get A Hearing Aid Test?

Hearing loss can be gradual and difficult to notice until it’s advanced. That’s why you should have your hearing screened once a year.

You should get a hearing test if you find yourself:

  • Straining to hear conversations
  • Asking family and friends to repeat themselves often
  • Missing lines in movies or at the theater
  • Listening to the TV at a level so loud that others complain
  • Turning the volume up all the way on your phone

What Will A Hearing Test Show?

Hearing tests measure your ability to hear different frequencies at different volumes. When you’re finished, you’ll get an audiogram, which is a printout of your test results. If it turns out you need hearing aids, the audiogram helps us program your hearing aid to your specific hearing loss, similar to getting a prescription for eyeglasses.

What Happens During A Hearing Test?

Your hearing is an important part of your overall health. Because hearing loss is often related to other health issues, we’ll begin by reviewing recent changes to your health. We’ll also ask a number of questions about where you notice you are struggling to hear.

Depending on what this initial hearing evaluation uncovers we may opt to do additional hearing tests or refer you to a physician.

Audiometric Hearing Test

Can you hear sounds, but have trouble making out what people are saying? This hearing test will determine how well you hear different tones and how well you’re able to hear words. We’ll say words that are commonly misunderstood and ask you to repeat them. The results of this test show hearing loss as a percentage and is a good indication of whether hearing aids will work for you.

How To Read Your Hearing Test Results

Your hearing test results will come to you as a chart called an audiogram. Along the left side is the volume as measured in decibels. Along the bottom are frequencies. Laying it out on a chart allows you to see clearly whether you have hearing loss at higher or lower frequencies and how bad it is. (Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through this.) If you can’t hear a sound until it’s at least 30 decibels you have some hearing loss. The louder a sound has to be before you hear it, the more severe your hearing loss is.

Young girl in a hearing booth having her hearing tested.