The audiologists at Hearing & Balance Services of Reston, we perform hearing tests to determine the type and severity of your hearing loss. For insight into the cause of your hearing loss and guidance for appropriate treatment, call or make an appointment online today.
What happens during a hearing test appointment?
Before your appointment for your hearing test and evaluation at Hearing & Balance Services of Reston, your audiologist reviews your medical history, including the medications and supplements you take daily.
It’s best to bring a family member with you to your appointment to help you understand the information and recommendations. The length of your examination allows you to discuss and review your test results and ask questions, enabling you to be an active participant in finding hearing solutions that work best for you and your lifestyle.
What tests are performed?
The specific tests performed during your evaluation depend on your age, symptoms, and medical history. The types of tests done help your audiologist determines the nature and degree of your hearing loss, as well as the conditions of your ear canal and middle ear. The most common testing includes:
Pure-tone and bone-conduction testing
Pure-tone testing helps determine the quietest hearable tones at different frequencies, both low and high. Though similar to pure-tone testing, bone-conduction testing uses a different type of headset and helps your audiologist determine whether the loss is conductive, occurring in your middle or outer ear, or sensorineural, an inner ear problem or an issue with your auditory nerve and central auditory pathways.
Speech testing
A speech reception threshold test confirms the results of a pure-tone test and determines the lowest level of sound you clearly identify in words or speech.
Otoscopy and tympanometry
Your audiologist also performs both an otoscopy and tympanometry to determine the health of your ear canal and middle ear. An otoscopy is a physical examination of your outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum. Tympanometry tests your middle ear.
Live Speech Mapping
If you need comprehensive, real-ear testing performed, before and after hearing aid placement, call or make an appointment online today at Hearing & Balance Services of Reston, Virginia.
Additional tests:
The audiologist may also perform otoscopy (physical examination of the outer ear and, ear canal and eardrum) and tympanometry (test of the middle ear) to determine the health of the ear canal and the middle ear.
Specialized tests exist for infants and young children, as well as children and adults with developmental and cognitive impairments. These more-specialized tests allow the audiologist to test the auditory system when the patient is not able to actively participate in the tests or evaluation.
Visual reinforcement and conditioned play audiometry for children
For children, it is important to have a diagnostic hearing evaluation whenever a hearing loss is suspected. It is the first step in identifying hearing loss and developing a treatment plan to improve academic and social success.
Along with the evaluation, you should generally expect to have time to review the results with the audiologist. They can interpret the tests for you, answer your questions, provide you with information and referrals as needed, as well as begin planning for treatment, if indicated.
Audiologists are specialists in hearing and hearing rehabilitation. Never hesitate to ask your audiologist for clarification or further information on anything you do not understand.