What Will Happen During a Hearing Test?

If you have noticed an issue with your hearing, it’s important to book an appointment with an audiologist. They will schedule you for a hearing test. A lot of people put off arranging this type of appointment because they assume that an issue with hearing is always going to be related to age. This isn’t the case at all and it’s actually remarkably common for hearing issues to be due to another underlying problem. This could be more serious which is why you should always get it checked out. Alternatively, there might be a simple solution to your hearing issues. But what should you expect at your hearing test?

You’ll be asked to fill in a questionnaire

This is always going to be the first step when you arrive. These hearing tests take roughly one hour. About twenty minutes of this time will be spent with you answering questions about your hearing and general health matters that could actually be related. For instance, you might be on medication. Some meds do cause hearing issues and an audiologist will be able to tell you whether your meds could be a risk factor. Or, you might have a historical medical issue in your family. This again, could be linked to your problems. As such, you must make sure that you provide the audiologist with as much information as possible to make sure they get the full picture.

Once you have done this, your audiologist will then check the information and determine whether there are any red lights or warning signs that could be the cause of your condition.

A physical examination

In some cases, you might find that there is a physical examination of your ears. This is quite common as hearing problems can be caused by physical issues such as a build up of ear wax. If ear wax builds up it can then harden in your ears, causing your hearing to deteriorate. This is easy to remedy with warm water pushed into the ear to soften the wax. It can then flow out naturally. In other cases there could be a growth in your ear. The physical examination is not painful and you’ll only feel a slight sensation as a micro camera is inserted into your ear canal.

A hearing test

It’s only after this that an audiologist will begin the actual hearing test. You will need to listen to different sounds at various volumes through headphones, often in a sound booth. You then press a button when you hear the sound. This provides the audiologist a reading of what you can and can’t hear so it’s important to press as soon as you do hear the noise.

You might also be asked to listen to words spoken at different volumes and repeat or note what you hear. These tests can vary depending on the expert that you see.

Once you have completed a hearing test an audiologist will explain the results with you. They will provide a diagnosis and recommend treatment which will often mean hearing aids.

We hope this helps you know exactly what to expect from your hearing test.