Hearing tests, or audiometry tests, evaluate your ability to hear.
Hearing changes tend to happen slowly over time and therefore there are many people who would benefit from a hearing check or test. Here are some common signs, that indicate you may be experiencing changes to your hearing levels:
Sometimes a family member may notice these signs before you. We offer our hearing checks free to anyone over 40. Before testing we would always listen to your concerns and complete a medical questionnaire.
We use the latest equipment at the hearing lounge to perform a number of tests to accurately assess your level of hearing. A hearing check consists of otoscopy and a pure tone audiogram. If the Audiogram identifies that you would benefit from further diagnostic testing we also offer a hearing evaluation which consists of an array of additional tests such as tympanometry, speech testing, tinnitus evaluation and hearing technology demonstrations. The tests we offer look at the health of your outer, inner and middle ear.
Outer ear & ear canal
Using a video otoscope to look into your ears, the Audiologist will check that your ears are in healthy condition. We will check that there are no obvious obstructions, inflammations or earwax build-ups that might be contributing to hearing loss.
Inner Ear
We will then conduct a pure tone audiometry test (PTA) to determine if you have hearing loss. Wearing specialist headphones in a soundproof booth, we will play a series of tones at different frequencies and decibel levels, asking you to respond when you hear them. Where you stop being able to hear the tones will indicate your level of hearing.
Middle Ear
Tympanometry uses air pressure to check that the small bones in your ear are moving as they should be. It also shows if the ear drum has any perforations that are small, as sometimes very small perforations won’t be visible by eye but will be identified through the results of the tympanogram.
Speech testing
Our intelligibility testing uncovers the difference between just hearing sounds and truly listening to speech, whether it’s in quiet or there’s noise around you. These results are compared to normative speech scores and are used to determine how you may perform in certain environments.
Tinnitus Evaluation
Tinnitus pitch and loudness matching is a process where a person with tinnitus is asked to adjust a pure tone in frequency until it matches the pitch of their tinnitus and in level until it matches the loudness of their tinnitus. We also look to measure the impact of tinnitus on your wellbeing
All of the tests we offer allow us to get a better understanding of what is causing your hearing loss and how best to treat it.
Following a hearing check or evaluation, the next steps will be discussed with you and normally fit within the three outcomes below:
Outcome 1) The test shows you have normal hearing or just a very mild loss that we can monitor for you in the future
Outcome 2) We may feel a need to refer you to an Ear, Nose and throat specialist doctor via your GP or alternatively we are linked with a private ENT doctor should you wish for us to refer directly. A full report will be provided to your doctor.
Outcome 3) You would benefit from some of the latest hearing technology ,as your hearing test indicated you would benefit from hearing devices. We would discuss the results and options with you and if you would like we will provide a demonstration of the latest hearing aids whilst in clinic, so that you can hear the difference for yourself.