Whether you have noticed that you may have a hearing loss or you would like to have a baseline to compare to in the future, it is never too early to have your hearing tested. The first step towards better hearing is booking your hearing test; however, you may still have a lot of questions regarding what to expect and about the process in general. Here is an outline of a full assessment and why each test is significant.

Case History

  • Before any examination, your hearing healthcare practitioner will provide you with a medical case history to fill out. This case history form will collect information about your medical history, hearing history, and any hearing loss symptoms you may be experiencing. Your case history is discussed prior to proceeding with the assessment.

Physical Examination

  • Your hearing healthcare practitioner will first perform a physical exam using an otoscope. The otoscope enlarges and illuminates which allows the practitioner to examine the ear canal and eardrum and look for any signs of wax buildup, infection, or abnormalities.

Tympanometry

  • This test measures the mobility of your eardrum and how well your middle ear is able to function. It is done by inserting a small probe at the entry of the ear canal and creating a seal, where it will then create a slight change in pressure in the ear canal. The test itself only takes a couple seconds and is performed in a quiet space.

At this point the sound booth door will be closed and the rest of the assessment is performed with your hearing healthcare practitioner on the other side of the glass.  The remainder of the testing procedures will be outlined in Part 2.

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