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Audiologists can perform multiple tests to determine the type and severity of your hearing loss. Here is a list of the more common types of hearing tests available today:
Otoscopy
Otherwise known as “looking into the ear,” Otoscopy allows the Audiologist to visualize the overall health of the ear canal and eardrum. This is important to do before other testing to ensure there is not a wax blockage, ear infection, or any other issue that may cause invalid test results. If there is anything abnormal found during the visual exam, the Audiologist will take the necessary steps to treat the issue before moving forward with testing.
Tympanometry
This test is a great way to determine the status of the middle ear. A piece will be inserted into the ear canal and will apply a small amount of pressure towards the eardrum. The piece will measure how much the eardrum moves in response to the pressure, indicating normal vs. abnormal movement. This gives the Audiologist information about potential fluid or pressure behind the eardrum that may be causing hearing loss.
Pure-Tone Testing
For this test, the patient will wear a pair of earphones and sit in a sound booth where they will hear a series of tones. Every time the patient hears a tone, they signal to the audiologist that they’ve heard the beep by pressing a button. The results are then charted on an audiogram.
Speech and Word Recognition
Similar to the pure-tone testing, the patient will wear a pair of earphones, but this time, the audiologist will play some words. The patient will be asked to repeat the words. The results of this speech test are compared to the results of a pure-tone test in order to determine that the results are valid.
Bone Conduction
Similar to the pure-tone test, the patient will hear a series of tones. They will press the button to signal to the Audiologist that they have heard the tones. However, this test requires a specialized headband that sends the tones straight to the organ for hearing through bone conduction. This information is important for the audiologist to know where the cause of the hearing loss is located.
Once a full audiological evaluation is performed, your Audiologist will go over all of your results in detail and recommend a treatment plan specific to your hearing loss. If you need to take a hearing test in Lubbock, come see us at The Hearing Doctor. Contact us and talk to our professional hearing experts to schedule an appointment.