People often take their hearing for granted. They never think twice when walking outside and hearing birds chirping or a person saying hello. They assume they will always be able to hear sounds.
Sadly, many people today have some degree of hearing loss and may not realize they have an issue. The problem progresses unchecked until the loss has become advanced. Having a hearing test regularly prevents this from happening. Regular tests allow issues to be caught early, so the doctor can develop a treatment plan that meets the individual’s needs and reduces the risk of further hearing loss.
A hearing test provides insight into an individual’s auditory health and may also help detect other health issues, such as a vestibular disorder. Patients often remember the hearing tests they had in school. They are amazed to see how far technology has come and how doctors test hearing today for a comprehensive view of the patient’s ability to hear.
Hearing Test Types
Hearing tests come in three common types. Doctors determine which tests should be run to get an accurate picture of the patient’s health. They may recommend pure tone audiometry tests, speech audiometry screening, or tympanometry exams. Each has benefits.
Pure tone audiometry is the type of hearing test most people are familiar with. In this test, the individual is asked to put on headphones and signal when they hear a tone. The goal is to see which frequencies a person can hear and at what levels. Some people struggle to hear in noisy environments. Audiologists test a person’s ability to hear in different settings with the help of speech audiometry. They play words and sentences at various volumes to learn how well a person recognizes speech in these settings.
Tympanometry tests evaluate the health of the inner ear. Doctors often use these tests with children to ensure their middle ear functions correctly. The test determines how the ear responds to pressure changes.
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The Benefits of Hearing Tests
Regular hearing tests provide doctors with a baseline for a patient’s hearing. They can then evaluate future tests against this baseline and determine how the hearing has changed to update the patient’s treatment plan. Patients benefit from these screenings because they can quickly react when changes are detected to protect their auditory health. Treatments are typically more effective when problems are caught early. Furthermore, treating hearing loss improves the person’s quality of life.
People who hear clearly can communicate with others. There are fewer misunderstandings, and social interactions become more enjoyable. Hearing loss can also lead to cognitive decline if left untreated. Prompt action reduces the risk of this decline.
Understanding Hearing Test Results
People must know how to interpret hearing test results to develop the proper treatment plan. An audiogram graph provides information about the individual’s hearing thresholds at various frequencies. A higher threshold is a sign of hearing loss. The audiologist reviews the audiogram graph and its symbols to determine the type and degree of hearing loss and the best treatment plan.
This professional also used speech discrimination scores to determine how well the patient can comprehend speech in various settings. Hearing loss may impact speech perception. The doctor looks for a high speech discrimination score. A low score indicates trouble communicating in specific settings.
Once an individual has a baseline for their hearing, they need to schedule regular appointments with an audiologist. The doctor will determine how often the patient needs to be seen based on what they found during the hearing test. These appointments allow them to monitor any changes in the hearing and act quickly to address them. With their help, a person can protect their auditory health.
