Hearing Testing

In order to determine the type and extent of your hearing loss, we perform a series of diagnostic tests.

These measure hearing sensitivity at different frequencies, and can help your hearing care professional come up with a treatment plan geared toward your specific needs.

Benefits of Diagnostic Testing

When sound waves enter the ear, they are converted to electrical signals and transmitted to the brain for interpretation. The intensity and tone of each sound varies. Sounds that exceed 85 decibels are harmful to the ears, and can cause permanent hearing damage. This is why noise induced hearing loss is a growing problem.

Many individuals with hearing loss are unaware of their diminished hearing capacity. Changes usually occur gradually, and it is easy to become accustomed to a reduction in hearing ability. Older adults aren’t the only ones who benefit from diagnostic testing; early detection of hearing loss in newborns and toddlers can help stave off learning and behavior problems associated with hearing impairment.

Common Diagnostic Tests for Measuring Hearing Sensitivity:

Pure Tone Audiometry.

Patients are given a pair of headphones and asked to respond to words and tones of varying frequencies and volume levels. The headphones are hooked up to an audiometer, a machine that charts the results on an audiogram. Any loss of frequency is easily detected. Pure Tone Audiometry enables the audiologist to determine the degree of hearing loss.

Speech Reception and Word Recognition Tests.

Patients are given a series of words and asked to repeat them. Some will be spoken, others whispered. Their responses help to determine speech comprehension at varying volume levels.