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What happens during a hearing test

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Healthy ears ensure good quality of life, facilitate communication, and strengthen our relationships with others. However, the human ear is the most sensitive organ in the body and its performance may be affected by overuse, or simply with age. If you think that your hearing may be impaired, we recommend a hearing evaluation: It does not take long, but will give you peace of mind.

Overview:

What's involved in a hearing test?
Should I have a hearing test?
Self-evaluation questions
How to prepare for a hearing test
How often should I have a hearing test?
What's the difference between a hearing screening and a hearing test?
Tips for relatives — How you can help

What's involved in a hearing test?

The hearing care professional first asks you a few questions. For example: Why do you think your hearing is deteriorating? Are you exposed to very loud noises at work? An initial assessment will be made on the basis of your answers. The test itself is performed under laboratory rather than real-life conditions. In day-to-day situations, your hearing is exposed to different and even greater stress. This is taken into account in the assessment.

A hearing test generally takes place in a soundproof room or booth. Sounds with different frequencies are played to you through headphones. These sounds cover the frequency range from 125 to 8,000 Hertz, i.e. from very low to very high. They are played individually in each ear and start very quietly, in a range that cannot be heard, and then slowly increasing in volume. You will be asked to indicate as soon as you first hear the sound. You will usually have to use a button or key.

At the end of the test with the headphones, the same test may be performed with vibrations on the skull. This is to determine whether there is any damage to the middle ear.

Your hearing test is evaluated using an audiogram. This shows test sounds on a scale and provides information on the hearing threshold level in decibels. The ENT doctor or audiologist can then determine the frequencies at which there are deviations from normal hearing. This helps not only to diagnose different types of hearing loss, but also to identify a suitable hearing aid. The hearing test is thus not only an important part of the diagnosis, but also a part of the consultation on purchasing a device. Afterwards, the hearing care professional will recommend the different hearing aid models that best suit your hearing loss and lifestyle.

Click here for further information on audiograms.

Your appointment - step by step

Below we provided a step-by-step breakdown of what will happen in your appointment so there are no surprises.

Examination: a visual exam of your ears for any factors that could affect the hearing test results such as infection or wax build-up.
Hearing Health History/Personal Hearing Survey: you will be asked specific questions about your otological (hearing) health and general health factors that can affect hearing such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Hearing Needs Assessment: your Connect Hearing Professional will ask you about 3-4 daily situations in which you would like to improve communications.
Hearing Test: an evaluation of the sensitivity of your hearing which takes place in a sound-proofed booth or room. Seated comfortably, you’ll put on headphones and listen to a series of tones. You will push a button when you hear each sound.
Results: your hearing care professional will explain your results and how they relate to the communication situations you’ve described.
Solutions: if you will benefit from hearing aids, your professional will recommend a solution for your individual hearing loss. If you decide to purchase hearing aids you are covered by our 60-day confidence guarantee so you can return or exhange your selected hearing aids for a different model to make sure you get the right solution for you.

Should I have a hearing test?

The first signs of hearing loss usually occur after the age of 50, although children and young adults may also be affected by impaired hearing. After many years of hearing overload, sounds with frequencies in excess of 2,000 to 5,000 Hz are usually the first to be lost. This frequency is barely perceptible to the human ear, and therefore affects only the limits of the speaking range. Consequently, gradual onset hearing loss is typically barely noticed at first, but becomes noticeable only when subsequent signs of hearing loss accumulate. Acknowledging the presence of hearing loss is not always easy, but is the first step towards improving the situation.

The issue is often apparent to partners or other relatives, while those affected continue to think that the situation has remained unchanged.

The sooner the better: This applies to treating hearing loss too. Leaving hearing loss untreated may have serious consequences, leading to depression or withdrawal from activities you love. Our 3-minute online hearing test will give you an initial idea of your hearing ability right now.

Hearing tests are critical for evaluating your hearing and providing the best recommendations for hearing loss. Like seeing your doctor or dentist annually, we recommend a hearing check every 12 months if you are over 55, or work in a loud environment. The first hearing test is important for setting a baseline – then changes can be plotted over time.

Self-evaluation questions:

If you or others think that your hearing may have deteriorated, you can easily check it before going to a specialist for a hearing test: If you can hear something being whispered around two meters away, you are probably not experiencing hearing loss.

Answering the following questions with either "Yes" or "No" can give you an initial idea of how well you can hear:

Conversation

Are speech and sounds loud enough, but unclear?
Do you have the feeling that people are mumbling or speaking unintelligibly?
Do you often have to ask others to speak more loudly during conversation?

Specific situations

Do you have difficulties understanding everything on the telephone?
Do you prefer sitting at the front for presentations or at the theater?
Do you find it difficult to follow discussions in large groups?
Is it even more difficult when there is a lot of background noise?
Do you find small talk – or casual chatting – stressful rather than relaxing?
Do you no longer look forward to celebrations and events?

Everyday life

Do people sometimes ask you why your TV is on so loud?
Do you sometimes fail to hear the doorbell or telephone?
Do you feel like there are fewer and fewer birds singing outside?
As a pedestrian, are you sometimes startled by cars driving past because you have not heard them coming?
Do you sometimes or always have noises in your ear, such as tinnitus?

Giving honest answers will provide a more accurate indication of your hearing ability.

If you answered "Yes" to more than two questions, you should have your hearing checked by a hearing care professional. Click here to find out more about the role of our hearing care professionals.

How to prepare for your hearing test

Many people are very anxious at the thought of a hearing test. First, because they do not know what to expect, and second because they are worried about the result.

Anxiety may have a negative impact on the results in both cases. How quickly a sound is recognized depends on responsiveness, but also on your condition on the day of the test, for example whether you are well rested, stressed, or tired.

This appointment will take approximately 90 minutes, so give yourself plenty of time and try to arrive at the hearing test in a relaxed frame of mind. We recommend you bring a friend or family member so we can evaluate parts of the hearing test using a familiar voice.

Tips to reduce stress

Here are a few tips to help you feel less anxious before the test:

Test the button before you begin.
Remove your glasses and ensure the headphones are well positioned.
Breathe steadily and sit comfortably.
Request a slower pace: The speed the tones becomes louder can be slowed and the interval between tones increased.
Any of the tests can be repeated.

What should I bring with me to the appointment?

Thee following list of questions and tips will help you prepare for your scheduled appointment with a Connect Hearing professional:

List any symptoms you are experiencing, and for how long. Ask your loved one to help you make the list. Friends and family may have noticed changes that aren't obvious for you, but they may be important for your Connect Hearing professional to know.
List key medical information, especially related to any problems you have had with your ears. Further, please list any medications, vitamins or supplements you are taking.
Summarize any jobs, military service or hobbies (such as hunting), even in the distant past, that exposed you to high noise levels.
Bring a family member or friend along. It is important to have a familiar voice at your appointment so that we can perform practical word tests and provide real world applications of the digital hearing technology.

Please also bring:

Insurance or benefits cards
Active Canadian Automobile Association card.

This will help your Connect Hearing professional to better evaluate your experience with hearing aids.

How often should I have a hearing test?

Regular hearing check-ups are important, as hearing loss can occur if your hearing is not trained. We recommend having a hearing test once a year as a precaution. Regular hearing tests can determine whether and how much your hearing has changed. The longer hearing loss remains untreated, the longer it takes for the optimal hearing performance to be restored.

Where should I go for a hearing test?

You can have a hearing test at hearing clinic of your choice, you can book an apopintment with one of our local professionals near you.

How much does a hearing test cost?

The hearing test provided by our hearing care professionals is free of charge, takes about 90 minutes and gives you peace of mind.

What is the difference between a hearing screening and a hearing test?

A hearing screening is a simple pass-fail evaluation, often performed outside a hearing clinic. A variety of tools may be used, from a tablet with headphones to a portable audiometer or even a questionnaire. The person who conducts the screening will be a qualified hearing professional. He or she will be able to tell you whether a full hearing assessment is recommended, in which case you will be offered a hearing test in a clinic.

A hearing test is a more comprehensive assessment that occurs in a hearing clinic. A hearing professional will ask some questions about situations in your life where you may be noticing that communication isn't where you'd like it to be, look inside your ears, perform a test in a sound booth and explain the results to you. If you have treatable hearing loss, you will be offered a pair of hearing aids to take home and trial in your daily life.

Tips for relatives – How you can help

You can support people with hearing problems by:

Finding out about the symptoms that might occur with hearing loss.
If you notice signs of hearing problems in a friend or partner, speak to them about it in a quiet moment. Offer to help them with the next steps, or do an online hearing test together.
If hearing loss has been identified and a hearing aid recommended, you can support the person in their decision-making about the hearing aid. Doubts may arise in the familiarization phase, so your encouragement can help!
Speaking clearly, distinctly, and slowly, face to face, makes it easier for people with hearing loss to understand you. Try to keep this in mind. If the person you are speaking to does not understand, try rephrasing what you said rather than repeating the same words. Patience and understanding are the best ways to help at this time.