5 Things You Should Know About Hearing Tests

People usually refrain from visiting a hearing test doctor, because they believe their hearing sense to be impeccable. However, everyone is susceptible to hearing disorders, regardless of their age. Today, our lifestyles have rendered us more exposed to factors that contribute to hearing disorders. From continuous use of headphones to loud noises – we all are gradually experiencing mild hearing difficulties that go unnoticed. By opting for annual hearing tests, people cannot only assess their hearing ability but also prevent it from worsening.

What Are Some Types of Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss may be sensorineural, conductive, or mixed. Each condition has a distinct causative agent and may cause reversible to irreversible damage.

Sensorineural

It is the most prevalent type of hearing loss, caused by exposure to loud noise, ototoxicity, drugs, or aging. However, its most common cause is aging which damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Since the cells do not regenerate, the damage is permanent. For such hearing conditions, the gold standard treatment is hearing aids that improve the ability to hear.

Conductive

As the name suggests, conductive hearing loss is characterized by the loss of sound transmission from the outer to the middle ear. It occurs due to damage or blockage in either part of the ear due to an infection or accumulation of earwax. It is a less common condition but is easily treated by healing the blockage that restores hearing.

Mixed

Mixed hearing loss is an amalgamation of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. In this condition, any physical damage or blockage further aggravates an underlying age-related hearing loss. It is often manifested in individuals constantly exposed to loud noises and have fluid in the center of the ear. Together, the two factors would contribute to the onset of symptoms of both types of hearing loss conditions.

Signs You Need a Hearing Test

Newborns experience their preliminary at the hospital, while children have screenings at schools to determine their hearing capabilities. It is us adults, who usually refrain from appearing for a hearing test.

Our everyday activities have rendered people more susceptible to a variety of hearing conditions, each of which varies across a spectrum of severity.

Following are some signs that should not be missed as they indicate the onset of a potential hearing disability.

• Ringing sensation (tinnitus) or buzzing in the ears
• Talking too loudly
• Often missing calls, doorbells, or alarms.
• Asking people to repeat their sentences
• Find it difficult to understand conversion amidst background noise
• Listening to the television or radio at a higher volume

Who Should Get a Hearing Test Without Any Delay?

Around 15% of American adults are known to experience some trouble hearing. The percentage suffers from conditions that are either caused by external factors such as loud noise or genetic factors. To determine whether you’re at risk for hearing loss, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you older than 60 years old? If yes, you’re more prone to experience hearing difficulties due to age
• Do you work in a high-noise occupation such as construction? If yes, the loud noise might damage your ear sooner or later
• Are you or your family concerned about your recent hearing capabilities? If yes, then you’re possibly developing the symptoms of hearing loss.

The answer to the questions emphasize the importance of a baseline test that helps in earlier diagnosis and better management of hearing disorders.

Types of Hearing Tests

Whether you’re susceptible to hearing loss due to lifestyle factors or experiencing certain signs and symptoms, you may appear for a test. Following are some types of hearing tests that help a physician diagnose hearing disorders:

Pure-tone audiometry

This test includes hearing tones that vary in pitch and volume. Your physician will take you to a soundproof room and provide your instructions via headphones. You will be required to focus and respond to each tone that you can hear. The objective of the test is to determine even the softest sound that a person can hear at each frequency.

Speech Audiometry

Speech audiometry is also conduct in a quiet setting but it employs recorded or live speech instead of tones. The objective of the test is to determine the softest speech sounds a person can hear and comprehend. In the test, you’ll be ask to repeat back words, said above a level higher than the threshold. At the end of the test, the practitioners determine the most comfortable listening level and upper limits of the level of hearing with comfort.

Speech Discriminatory Test

The test is use to help people who find it difficult to distinguish speech from background noise. Common techniques used to carry out the tests include

1. Connected Speech Test (CST)
2. Speech Perception in Noise Test (SPIN)
3. Speech in Noise test (SIN or Quick SIN)
4. Hearing in Nose Test (HINT)

You may take one or more of these tests to determine your ability to hear amidst supplementary background noise. In the test, the practitioner will speak while a soundtrack plays in the background, representing a densely populated area.

OBJECTIVE HEARING TESTS

Apart from these tests, some objective hearing tests diagnose various hearing conditions. These tests are specifically designee for individuals that cannot respond on their own. Patients’ demographic ideal for objective hearing tests including older infants and small children

Otoacoustic emission hearing

The test evaluates the function of hair in the cochlea. It includes a sound projection that stimulates the hair to make a faint sound which is known as otoacoustic emission.

Auditory brainstem response testing

This test checks the electrical activity that may occur in the brain in response to a sound. The practitioners place electrodes on the head to measure these sound waves.

Electrocochleography

Similar to the previous test, electrocochleography detects any electrical activity that may occur in the cochlea in response to a sound. The practitioner threads the electrode through the eardrum so that it is in contact with the cochlea.

Tympanometry

Tympanometry isn’t typically a test for hearing but is use to determine whether the eardrums are moving normally. In the test, a rubber tip is insert into the ear, through which the air is pump into the ear canal. The tests aim to determine the reflexive responses of the middle ear muscles.

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What To Expect During a Hearing Test?

A hearing test is a non-invasive approach to checking for your hearing. Here are five things that you can expect during a hearing test.

1. The audiologist will conduct a physical exam to determine any signs of injury or infection
2. They will inquire about your medical and drug history along with recent lifestyle developments to determine the cause.
3. The physician may carry out three basic tests to determine the type and extent of hearing loss.
4. The results are produce immediately on an audiogram according to which the audiologist will create a treatment strategy.
5. Do not expect to get a 100 percent on your hearing test because no one gets it. The test aims to improve your hearing ability and prevent its deterioration.

Hearing tests are pivotal to determining one’s hearing capabilities. The internal medicine doctor in Michigan is dedicated to offering relevant, comprehensive services to help people hear better.