While the idea of going to a hearing clinic can be scary, there is nothing to worry about. Testing your hearing is a painless process and ensures that you have a plan for maintaining your hearing or creating solutions to solve any hearing loss.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, over thirty-seven million American adults ages eighteen and older report some trouble hearing. They’ve also reported that about 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
Here are a few things to expect when visiting a hearing clinic:
Hearing History
Physical Ear Exam
Hearing Testing
Treatment Plan
Contact OAT today to learn more about our hearing services.
Hearing History
Every hearing evaluation with a new patient starts with going over your hearing history. That allows your specialist to know if you’re regularly around loud noises like working in construction, going to concerts, or any other activities. They’ll also go over your health and family history. As reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fifty to sixty percent of hearing loss in babies is due to genetic causes. Sometimes, both your environment and genetics can create hearing loss. An example of this is a medication creating hearing loss which may only occur in those who have certain genetic mutations. Another factor you’ll discuss is whether you’ve had any physical injuries or surgeries that could have impacted your hearing.
Physical Exam
Doing a physical ear exam lets your specialist check if any hearing problems are being caused by a blockage from built-up earwax. They’ll also check for any tears in your eardrum, inflammation or fluid buildup.
Hearing Testing
Next, you’ll do a hearing test. There are a variety of tests your specialist can do to check if you’ve experienced any hearing loss. Below are the five main types:
Pure-Tone Testing
This test is familiar for most people if you’ve ever gotten your hearing tested at school or a doctor's office. Often called a “beep” test, this allows your doctor to find the quietest frequency you can hear.
Speech Testing
Your audiologist may do a speech test to see how well you hear and repeat words. They can also compare these results to the pure-tone test and confirm any issues with your hearing.
Tests of the Middle Ear
Your ear is made up of three parts – the outer, middle, and inner ear. Your middle ear contains the Eustachian tube, a small passageway that connects your throat to your middle ear, and is responsible for sounds going from your outer ear to your inner ear and brain. Tympanometry tests how well your eardrum moves by putting in a small probe, similar to an earphone, and pushing air into your ear. This allows your specialist to see the results on a graph and know if there are any problems, such as a tear, within your middle ear.
Auditory Brainstem Response
This test allows you to know how your inner ear, the cochlea, and brain pathways are working. It’s typically done on young children as they’re unable to communicate during their tests. It’s also used for symptoms that may be related to hearing loss in the brain or in a brain pathway. As explained by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the test is done using electrodes that are stuck to your skin and connected to a computer. By wearing earphones, the electrodes record your brainwave's response to various sounds and record it on the computer. The results are then printed out and allow you to see if there are any instances of hearing loss.
Otoacoustic Emissions
This test checks for any blockage or hearing loss by measuring otoacoustic emissions, why are sounds given off by the inner ear when responding to a sound. The sound in the inner ear is created by hair cells that vibrate in response to outside sounds and quietly echo back into the middle ear. If your hearing loss is greater than 25–30 decibels, you won’t produce these soft sounds. You’ll also be unable to produce these sounds if you have a blockage because it won’t allow for any vibration to occur. Like the auditory brainstem response test, it’s done by listening to sounds, such as through an earphone, and automatically records the results on a monitor.
Treatment Plan
If your hearing is at a healthy level, you’ll typically be advised to come back for a regular check-up within the next year. If you’ve experienced hearing loss, your specialist will come up with the best treatment plan for your condition. This can include things like getting fitted for a hearing aid or a plan for a cochlear implant. Every plan and timeline is different as it’ll be tailored to your specific needs.
Evaluate Your Hearing with the Experts at OAT
At Otolaryngology Associates of Tennessee, we make the process easy. We provide a respectful, patient-focused approach in a warm atmosphere with the simple goal of giving you the best care possible.
While there is no magic wand to fix each hearing problem, most hearing health issues can be treated. A proper ear, nose, and throat doctor can address your hearing needs, prevention, maintenance, and enhancement. Whether you need hearing aids or another type of device, our team of doctors and nurse practitioners at OAT works together to ensure you get the individual attention you deserve.
If you suffer from any of the following symptoms, hearing issues, hearing loss, or diseases, OAT can help:
Hearing loss
Ear infections
Ear tubes
Swimmer’s ear
Ear wax removal
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Eustachian tube dysfunction
Meniere’s disease
Ruptured eardrums
Eardrum holes
Mastoiditis
Hearing aids
Tinnitus maskers
Hunters plug
In-ear monitors
Musicians’ plugs
Custom ear molds
