Complete hearing test in 6 steps
What is a complete hearing test?
It is a test to evaluate your hearing made by an audiologist to determine whether you have hearing loss and in what part of your ear the problem is located. The hearing test takes between 45 and 60 minutes.
When you arrive at your appointment, the audiologist will guide you in 6 steps.
Step 1: Hearing history
In the waiting room, you will fill out a questionnaire on your hearing health and any trouble understanding speech, to provide the audiologist information on your situation and needs, which you’ll discuss during the appointment.
Step 2: Visual exam of the external ear canal (otoscopy)
Your external ear canal and tympanic membrane (eardrum) will be checked to make sure there isn’t anything that would prevent you from continuing the hearing test, like earwax.
Step 3: Middle ear check
This automatic test, called an impedance analysis, evaluates how well your middle ear is working. The audiologist uses a probe to measure and verify the movement of the eardrum, the ossicle chain and the acoustic reflex.
Step 4: Sound detection
Pure-tone audiometry is done in a soundproof room. It measures the quietest sounds you can hear (deep and low sounds to high and sharp sounds). Different types and volumes of sounds will be played and you will signal when you hear them.
Step 5: Word recognition
After the sound detection tests, the audiologist will have you listen to and repeat a series of words. Speech audiometry assesses your ability to understand (clarity) words at a comfortable volume and discerns the lowest level at which you can hear and repeat familiar words.
Step 6: Results and recommendations
After the tests, the audiologist will explain your results and connect them to the problems you reported at the beginning of the session. Based on the results, the audiologist will recommend various solutions and if you should see a doctor for medical issues or an audioprosthetist if your hearing loss is irreversible.
If you have any doubts or any questions about your hearing, make an appointment with your audiologist now!
