Basics of Hearing Tests

Are you concerned that you may have a hearing loss? How to be sure? Hearing loss can be a problem for anyone and is often progressive enough that it's difficult to identify until you notice symptoms. Hearing loss can profoundly affect your wellbeing; therefore, taking a baseline test for your hearing and periodic follow-up testing can assist in identifying it earlier. 

The goal of testing to detect hearing loss is to establish whether you are suffering from it and how severe or mild it is. The thorough test will aid in determining the hearing loss you suffer, whether it is sensorineural, conductive, or mixed and if it is best suited to hearing aids, medical treatment, and bone-anchored hearing aid, as well as cochlear implants. 

Hearing health history 

If you are visiting a hearing centre for the first time, the office staff will ask you to complete a case history form. The paperwork will ask you a set of questions to assist your hearing health professional know the history of your hearing, medical and overall health. There are many possible causes of hearing loss; therefore, the case history can help determine if there are any genetic or inherited issues in your family. 

The medical conditions that cause headaches, colds, allergies, or ear infections, and even affected earwax (cerumen) could be a factor in hearing loss. Additionally, your hearing health specialist may inquire whether you've experienced a recent injury to the ears or the head. Any trauma to the cranial region could result in permanent or temporary hearing damage. 

Your hearing healthcare provider may be able to inquire about the frequency of your exposure to loud sounds or when you work in a noisy environment. Hearing loss due to noise is prevalent in our noisy world. 

In the end, the hearing healthcare professional may want to talk with you about the signs you're having and their potential impact on your day-to-day life. They'll be looking to learn about your lifestyle and the kinds of work, hobbies, and social activities that matter to you. Be aware that hearing loss can be exhausting, and problems like fatigue could be connected. 

Once your hearing health history is completed, the in-depth hearing assessment will begin. 

Do you require a hearing test?

No matter your age or profession, you should take a hearing test if you (or someone close to you) think you're not hearing like you used to. The most susceptible to hearing loss are those over 60 and those working in areas with high noise levels, such as construction sites or restaurants. 

If you've been diagnosed with hearing loss via testing, you should talk to your doctor about how often you should be tested again. Like vision, hearing can change as time passes, and hearing aids also require regular adjustments. 

Getting a hearing test

Hearing tests are simple and non-invasive. They are usually conducted in a sound-proofed, quiet area (booth) or an enclosure designed to block any other noises that could impact the results of your hearing test, for example, the air conditioner, heater, or office environment. You'll be required to wear headphones or earplugs with wires connected to an instrument known as an audiometer to take the test. 

Types of hearing tests 

Pure-tone audiometry

The hearing test is usually pure-tone audiometry. This involves listening to different tones at different levels and pitches. It is typically performed in rooms that have been sound treated. A hearing professional will talk to you and give instructions via your headphones. You'll need to pay attention and pay attention because you will need to react even if the tone is extremely soft, and you can barely hear the sound. The test measures the softest sounds you can hear at every frequency. 

Speech audiometry

Speech audiometry is an additional component of most hearing assessments, and it uses live or recorded speech instead of tones in a calm setting. The speech portion of the test is designed to assess the most soft-sounding speech (threshold) you can be able to hear and comprehend. Then, you will have to repeat the words at a volume higher than the threshold to test whether you can comprehend them. Certain professionals use the sounds of speech to establish your ease of listening level and the upper limits of comfort for listening. 

Speech in noise and words in noise test

Many complain about how they hear in loud surroundings - not quiet rooms with soundproofing! The most common tests for assessing the hearing capacity of a person comprise tests like the Connected Speech Test (CST), Speech Perception in Noise test (SPIN), Speech in Noise test (SIN or the Quick SIN), and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). You have the authority to choose any one of them. 

When you take these tests, you'll hear someone speak phrases and words as a soundtrack plays, increasing loud and stuttering sounds. These tests help determine "real-world" hearing capabilities by mimicking what you hear at a noisy restaurant or supermarket. When you have received the wireless hearing aids you need, you can conduct a similar test to adjust the amplification levels of the aid. 

Tympanometry

If needed, the doctor can perform tympanometry or examine your auditory reflexes. A small, soft-plugged device that produces sound waves and pressure changes can be placed in your ear to conduct these tests. This will tell you how the eardrum is moving. It also will determine the reflexive response of the muscles in your middle ear. 

Testing for hidden hearing loss

Some people have hearing loss rooted in the brain, not the ears. This is called invisible hearing loss, and standard hearing tests cannot detect it. If you've passed your hearing test and can still not hear clearly, you may have a hidden hearing loss. 

Understanding your hearing test results

Test results are shown in an audiogram graph highlighting the softest sounds you hear at different frequencies or pitches. The vertical axis on an audiogram indicates the intensity and volume of sound. The horizontal axis represents the frequency or the pitch of the sounds. 

What does an audiogram look like

The hearing assessment results will be plotted in decibels of the hearing threshold (dB HL). These are units that are exclusive to hearing tests, but they are built upon the sense of the sound pressure level across all frequency ranges. Each time you hear a tone during testing, there is a mark on the audiogram at the correct decibel level. Each ear is charted separately and is represented by two distinct lines. The lines could be similar and follow the exact pattern, or they could differ. 

The hearing loss measured is in decibels (dB) and falls into one of the categories below:

• Normal hearing (0 to 25 dB HL)
• Mild hearing loss (26 to 40 dB HL) 
• Moderate hearing loss (41 to 70 dB HL)
• Severe hearing loss (71 to 90 dB HL)
• Profound hearing loss (greater than 91 dB HL) 

While many people discuss hearing loss by percentages, it's not the most appropriate and meaningful measurement for hearing loss. It is quite common to suffer from more hearing loss at certain frequencies than at others, so the proportion of hearing loss will differ at each test frequency, making it meaningless to describe the total hearing loss or determine the hearing loss solutions. In the clinical setting, hearing loss isn't expressed by percentages. However, it may be expressed in percentages in certain legal scenarios. In these situations, hearing loss decibels are converted using an established formula to produce a "percentage of loss in hearing" for legal reasons. 

In certain instances, it is possible that a bone conduction test may be performed, which will aid in determining if the loss is sensorineural or conductive. The treatment is usually different for those who have conductive hearing loss. 

Online hearing tests

There is a variety of hearing tests that are available on the internet. Some are quiz-based screening tests that will assist you in determining whether you're eligible for more thorough in-person testing to determine the exact degree of your hearing loss. Certain sites also offer tests that rely on noise to allow you to hear audio recordings. 

Online Hearing tests online can provide users with a visual representation of their hearing health, but they do not constitute a substitute for a complete hearing assessment. 

Next steps after testing

After the testing is complete, your hearing health professional will suggest treatment if you suffer from hearing loss. For those with moderate or mild hearing loss, Oticon hearing aids are best. In recent years, however, hearing aids are becoming smaller and more sophisticated and often connect directly to smartphones and other gadgets. 

Visit Hearing Aid Specialists SA to get all your hearing health needs fulfilled in Australia.