Hearing tests gather all of the important information needed about a patient. Sometimes several different tests are needed to come to a conclusion. Patients are filled in with the details before and after tests so that they have a clear understanding of what to expect.
At Life Hearing & Tinnitus Health Centers, we understand the importance of hearing to your everyday life. Communication is crucial, and hearing loss could negatively impact your ability to do this. Having your hearing tested will allow us to not only determine if a loss is present, but also recommend proper treatment to help you communicate with the world around you again.
Diagnostic hearing evaluation
Think of the diagnostic hearing evaluation as the first step of the process. Not only does it find out a user’s current hearing capability, but it prioritizes a lot of information related to hearing loss. Professionals will know the specifics of the damage, along with any important detail that decides the next step in treatment. A common instrument to use during these tests is an audiometer, but the extent of the tests will be different per individual. Common evaluations are; air conduction, bone conduction, speech testing, auditory brainstem response testing or acoustic immittance testing.
Industrial hearing screening
Long term exposure to loud noises in a work environment leads to permanent hearing damage. In an industrial area, loud noises are unavoidable. Hearing protection can help with this by blocking out harmful noises without silencing important ones. Even with adequate protection, industrial sites are taking a proactive approach to their employees hearing health. OSHA and other hearing safety organizations have enacted necessary requirements for preventable hearing damage. All companies meet these guidelines differently, either independently or through a third party. This is where industrial hearing screenings become important, as they’re often an onsite exercise required by law. The screenings are quick and non-invasive, providing just enough information to both parties so that they can talk about the next step. This is a great place to start if further tests are needed.
Live speech mapping
For live speech mapping, small microphones are temporarily placed in a patients canal. A hearing healthcare professional will be able to see exactly what the patient is hearing, and make adjustments to the hearing aid on the fly. Verification of hearing instruments took a big leap into the future with the introduction of live speech mapping. It is the most efficient way to handle the fitting of hearing aids, and to get the correct settings for the user. One of the biggest benefits is how involved the patient is with the process, leaving less room for errors by getting the fitting personalized on their terms.
Speech and Auditory Processing
Speak intelligibility is determined by the results of speech and auditory processing evaluations. The results will detail the percentage of hearing loss and which hearing aids would be helpful.
Test & Audiometry
An audiogram is a patient’s personal hearing profile. It’s built based on information gathered during tests and then used to adjust hearing aids.
Tympanometry
A tympanogram is a visual hearing test that looks at the air pressure in an ear canal to see how it affects the tympanic membrane. It is an all-around important test that can be performed on children or adults.