Hearing Tests & Evaluations
Hearing Tests & Evaluations
Having a regular hearing test is essential if you want to catch your hearing loss in its early stages. As mild hearing loss can start affecting you as early as your late forties/early fifties, it is critical that you come into your local Denver hearing clinic to have your hearing checked annually.
What Happens at an Echo Hearing Center Hearing Evaluation
When you come into the Echo Hearing Center for your hearing evaluation, we will need you to fill out some information about yourself, ranging from your medical history to your insurance company. Once that information is completed, you are ready for your appointment.
Also, if you would like to bring someone with you to your appointment, we highly encourage that you do. This person can help you recall all the things our audiologist will discuss with you and can assist with the hearing test if they are comfortable with helping out.
Pre-Hearing Evaluation Consultation
Before the official hearing tests begin, our audiologist will sit down with you and discuss what brought you in to have your hearing tested. He will also cover what will happen during the hearing evaluation, so you can feel more comfortable.
Another good reason to bring someone along with you to your hearing evaluation is that they can help during the pre-hearing test. Often, those around us notice things about us that we may miss. An example of this would be if you didn’t realize you often have to turn your head to hear clearly. The person you bring with you will likely notice this behavior and be able to communicate it to our audiologist.
Video Otoscopy
The first step in our hearing evaluation is a video otoscopy, where our audiologist examines the area just inside the ear. This examination allows him to identify if there is any blockage or damage which could be causing your hearing loss such as built-up earwax or a punctured eardrum.
Sound Evaluation
During the sound evaluation, our audiologist will have you step into our soundproof booth. That way, outside noise doesn’t interfere with your hearing evaluation. Once in the booth, the sound evaluation will begin. Three of the key tests you will undergo are:
- Pure Tone Test – During the pure tone test, sounds at various levels of loudness and pitch will be played. Our audiologist will ask you to signal when you hear the sound. This test will check if you have any loudness hearing loss and what frequencies you may struggle to hear.
- Acoustic Immittance – This test checks the eardrum’s ability to vibrate and send sound through the space behind it to the middle ear bones. With this test, our audiologist can better determine where your hearing loss may be occurring.
- Bone Conduction – A device will be placed on the sound-conducting bones around your ears, and you will be tested to see how well your inner ear is receiving sound. Not only does this help our audiologist see if there is hearing loss, but it also helps him determine what type of hearing loss you have developed.
Speech Tests
As much of our hearing is dependent on our ability to hear, comprehend, and respond, it is natural that part of our hearing evaluation is a speech assessment. Two of the essential tests we perform are:
- Speech Reception – Our audiologist will test to see how well you hear words he speaks at various volume levels. He will have you signal as you hear the words, and may have you repeat them back.
- Word Recognition – Along with the speech reception, our audiologist will check how well you recognize the words being spoken. As hearing loss can damage your ability to recognize words, this test is key in helping our audiologist in seeing how advanced your hearing loss has become.
Also, if you brought someone with you to your hearing evaluation, our audiologist will have them read off a list of words for you to repeat. As you are likely more attuned to a familiar voice, our audiologist will be able to see if this affects your word recognition responses.
Results and Recommendations
After your hearing test has ended, our audiologist will review your result with you and provide his recommendations based on the results of your hearing test. During this time, you can ask any questions you have regarding your test, the results, and how you should move forward with protecting your hearing.
Hearing Aid Demonstrations
If the hearing evaluation does uncover that you have hearing loss, our audiologist can help you determine what hearing aids are right for your needs and lifestyle. We have several styles from various hearing aid manufacturers that you can test in our office, and our audiologist can order in more hearing aids, as we are an independent hearing clinic.
Who Can Benefit From Our Hearing Tests
Our hearing tests and evaluation is one of the most popular audiology services we offer at our clinic. We believe that everyone can benefit from regular hearing evaluations. However, some of the particular demographics who can really use our hearing tests and evaluations are:
- Adults Over the Age of 50 – As we mentioned earlier, adults over the age of 50 often begin to be affected by hearing loss after a lifetime of loud noise exposure. By catching hearing loss early, many of the negative side-effects of hearing loss can be averted.
- Those Struggling With Tinnitus – Often a sign of hearing loss, tinnitus can be managed with appropriate hearing solutions such as hearing aids will tinnitus management support.
- Construction Workers – Those who work around heavy-duty machines, such as construction and factory workers, are prone to developing hearing loss due to inadequate hearing protection.
Have a Personalized Hearing Evaluation at Echo Hearing Center
At Echo Hearing Center, we make sure to provide personalized hearing help. As hearing loss is an incredibly personal issue, you can feel comfortable coming into our hearing clinic, knowing that your concerns and preferences will be taken into account.
If you are ready to schedule your next hearing evaluation with an audiologist who will take the time to explain the process and listen to your concerns, contact us today for an appointment.