There are many different kinds of hearing tests, and the audiologist or certified hearing aid dispenser you visit will perform those that best evaluate your hearing loss.
Most often you will sit in a sound-proof booth or wear a pair of sound-proof headphones and listen first to a series of pure tones. The hearing professional tries tones at different frequencies, progressively increasing the volume until you can hear each tone. You raise your finger when you hear the tone — if you have lost some hearing, you don’t hear it until the volume is higher than for someone with average hearing.
After testing your response at many different frequencies for each ear, you will get a printout of an audiogram that shows how much amplification you require to hear each tone with each ear. The result looks something like the following chart, with the slope of each line varying depending on your need for amplification at each frequency level.
After you get the audiogram results, there are often additional tests, including word recognition and sentence recognition tests. When you are finished, the hearing professional has a good understanding of the nature of your hearing loss and can recommend ways to help. If a hearing aid can help, it can be programmed to your unique hearing profile charted in the audiogram.
As you develop a rapport with your audiologist or hearing aid dispenser, you will find that frequent updates to your audiogram and multiple tweaks to your hearing aid’s program will result in better hearing.
- Click here to find a qualified hearing health professional near you.
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- Click here to find out about types of hearing loss.
- Click here to find out about causes of hearing loss.
- Click here for information on tinnitus and other noises in your ears.
- Click here to learn about cochlear implants and other surgical solutions.