What Happens During a Hearing Test?

If you feel you are experiencing hearing loss, or perhaps if a family member or friend has pointed out that you might be, then having a hearing test with an audiologist can help you. This test will confirm your hearing loss or show that you don’t have hearing loss at all. If it’s the latter, you don’t need to do anything more, and if it’s the former, your audiologist will be able to discuss treatment options with you as to what happens next. In either case, having a hearing test is a good thing so that you can move forward. 

Yet something that puts some people off booking their hearing test or assessment is that they don’t know what happens during the test and they are nervous about what they might have to do or what might occur. There is no need to be concerned, but to make sure you are entirely comfortable with booking a hearing test when you need one, it’s wise to research the test itself – that way, you’ll know exactly what to expect. Read on for some information that should help you. 

Questions 

The hearing test will begin with your audiologist asking you a variety of questions to ascertain some background information about your hearing and what might have caused any potential hearing loss. It’s useful for the audiologist to know this from the start, since it will help them to work out which tests to perform and what they should be watching out for. 

Sounds 

Next, the audiologist will play different sounds through headphones. They will play them at different pitches, and your task is to press a button every time you hear a sound. You may also need to wear a headband that vibrates, ensuring that you are given a full assessment; hearing sounds through vibrations is just as crucial as hearing them in the standard way. 

Camera 

Often, although it will depend on the reason behind the hearing loss in some cases, the audiologist will then use a tiny camera to check the inside of the ear. They will be looking at the overall health of the eardrums and ear canals. They’ll want to see that there is no damage or blockages.

You should be able to see the screen they are watching so you can look at the inside of your ears too. This is helpful information; the recording will be kept so that the audiologist can compare it to your ear health at subsequent appointments. 

Hearing Aids 

It might be that the outcome of the hearing test is that you need to wear a hearing aid or hearing aids to improve your hearing. If so, the audiologist will discuss what this means and how these devices can help you. It is likely you will then need to book an additional appointment to have your hearing aids fitted, as this needs to be done carefully and there won’t usually be time to complete this during the initial assessment. As well as needing more time, it’s a good idea for you to go away and think about your options and digest the news about your hearing so that you understand exactly what it all means. You can prepare any questions you might have for the hearing aid fitting.