What happens at a hearing test

Firstly, your Audiologist will start by going through your medical history to make sure she understands your hearing needs. Questions relating to your ear health, general health and listening needs will be asked. A teacher for example may struggle more based on their environment than someone who works in a quiet office all day. You may be an active pensioner who likes to get on the golf course and have a few drinks at the pub after. Alternatively you may be the person who prefers quieter activities. All of these factors will influence your treatment plan.

Once a case history has been performed, she will perform a test called Otoscopy, to check the health of your ear canal and eardrum and to make sure there is no obtrusive wax contributing to your hearing difficulties. Our Audiologist has advanced equipment and is also able to check the middle ear status by performing what it called Tympanometry. This will allow her to see how the middle ear is functioning. This will pick up ear infections and will tell her how the tiny little bones in your ear are responding to sound.

The next part of the test is to test your hearing levels. You will be asked to wear a set of headphones and each ear will be tested separately. You will hear different loudness levels as well as different pitches and be asked to press a button when the sounds are heard. Not everyone has the same hearing loss. Some people struggle with the lower pitches and some with the higher pitches. Some people have hypersensitivity to sounds. Speech discrimination testing will then be done. Your Audiologist will want to know what sounds in words you are struggling with, in order to select the best treatment option for you.

Book your hearing test today here or phone 045 865 732.