How Will My Doctor Test My Hearing?

An audiologist, a professional who can test a persons hearing levels, should be sought if you ever feel that your hearing is getting worse. As well as testing a patient's current hearing levels the tests by an audiologist also try to establish the reasons why a person's hearing might be suffering.

Here are some details of the types of hearing tests that you are likely to experience during a visit to an audiologist.

You will undoubtedly be asked to provide details about your medical history. You will also need to provide details concerning your current work and employment history and whether your occupations, past and present, could have meant that you were exposed to certain sounds that could have damaged your hearing.

You will be asked to give details of any illnesses and injuries that you have suffered that could have affected your hearing.

Some hearing problems can be genetic so the audiologist is likely to ask questions concerning other family members and their hearing levels. Almost all hearing examinations will involve the use of an instrument called an otoscope to examine the inside of your ears.

The otoscope allows the audiologist to check the eardrum for any visible signs that could relate to damage.

One of the most common tests during a hearing examination is an audiogram which uses specially calibrated equipment to test the patients hearing in a sound proofed room. The patient enters the room and earphones are placed over the patients ears. The patient is played sounds through the audio headphones and a record is made of the lowest tones that they are able to hear in both ears.

Most people will recall a similar test that they had done when the first started school. The test at the audiologist's will probably involve more sophisticated equipment but the idea is exactly the same.

Another test that you are likely to have done is a tympanometry, which is when a pressure is placed in the middle ear. The air pressure in the ear will change whilst a tone is sounded. This kind of examination looks to determine whether there is any fluid which may be causing hearing problems.

A tuning fork may be used in some examinations to determine the amount of hearing loss. If placed next to the patient's ears the tuning fork makes the middle ears to vibrate. The tuning fork is also brought in to contact with the bone behind the ear, sending vibrations to the inner ear.

The patient must then identify which of the two tones was louder. This test helps the audiologist determine range of hearing and pinpoint the precise location of the hearing loss.

By performing a test known as a 'site of lesion' test the audiologist can locate the cause of the hearing loss. The site of lesion test compares the level of hearing in both of the patients ears when other noises are present.

The equipment used is the same as with the audiogram, but will be used to gather different sorts of results.

An audiologist may recommend other types of testing that is not directly linked to the hearing loss, but may help identify conditions that are contributing to the loss. X-rays can be taken of the inner ear and the brain to have close look at the nerves that are associated with hearing.

To be able to diagnose the problems effectively the audiologist may need to take a series of different examinations which will help them to prescribe the best course of treatment. Many people often find that their treatment is successful and go on to lead a better life thanks to the accurate diagnosis of the variety of hearing tests that are available.