Hearing tests help us understand how well a person can hear. They are important because hearing loss often happens slowly, so many people don’t notice it until it becomes a big problem. Different hearing tests are used for different age groups, such as special tests for children.
Even though you can find hearing tests online, they aren’t always accurate. The best way to know how well you hear is by having a professional hearing test. An audiologist, who is a hearing specialist, uses special tools and equipment to give you the most accurate results. This helps them figure out the type and level of your hearing loss so they can create a plan to help you hear better.
Let’s look at some of the most common types of hearing tests.
Types of Hearing Tests
Pure Tone Testing
Pure Tone Testing, also known as Pure Tone Audiometry, measures how well you can hear different sounds. These sounds can be high or low, loud or soft. During the test, you’ll wear headphones and sit in a quiet room. When you hear a sound through the headphones, you’ll either raise your hand or press a button to show that you heard it. The results of this test are shown on a chart called an audiogram, which helps the audiologist understand your hearing ability.
Bone Conduction Testing
Bone Conduction Testing is similar to Pure Tone Testing but works a little differently. Instead of sounds traveling through the air, this test uses tiny vibrations that go straight to your inner ear. A small device is placed behind your ear to send these vibrations. This test helps the audiologist figure out if the problem is in the inner ear or if it’s caused by something else, like a blockage in the ear canal.
Acoustic Reflex Testing
Acoustic Reflex Testing checks how well your middle ear muscles react to loud sounds. When you hear a loud noise, your ear muscles automatically tighten to protect your hearing. This test helps find out if there’s a problem with your middle ear, such as an issue with the cochlea (the inner ear), the auditory nerve, or the tiny bones in your ear called ossicles.
Tympanometry
Tympanometry tests how well your eardrum moves in response to changes in air pressure. This is important because your eardrum needs to move properly for you to hear well. If there’s something wrong, like fluid behind the eardrum, earwax buildup, or even a hole in the eardrum, this test can help find it. Tympanometry is especially useful for detecting ear infections or other issues with the middle ear.
Speech in Noise Testing
Speech in Noise Testing checks how well you can understand speech when there’s background noise. In the real world, it’s not always quiet when people talk, so this test is important to see how well you can pick out speech from other sounds. You might be tested in a quiet room first and then with background noise to see how well you can understand what’s being said.
Special Hearing Tests
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs)
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) measure the response of your inner ear, specifically the cochlea, to sound. A tiny probe with a speaker and microphone is placed in your ear, and it sends sounds into the ear. If your cochlea is working well, it will produce small sounds, known as emissions, in response. If the emissions are weak or missing, it could mean there’s a problem, like too much fluid in the ear or damage to the hair cells in the cochlea.
Hearing Tests at Alabama Hearing Associates
At Alabama Hearing Associates, we offer a full range of hearing tests to understand your hearing health. These tests help us find out if you have hearing loss, what kind it is, and how we can best help you. Our goal is to improve your quality of life by helping you hear and communicate better.
Alabama Hearing Associates also offers comprehensive hearing evaluations. They have two convenient locations in Huntsville and Madison to serve your hearing needs.
Contact us today to schedule your hearing test!
