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Discover what occurs during a hearing test and how it evaluates your auditory health effectively.

What Happens at a Hearing Test

Hearing Test Overview

At our Hearing Clinic, you can trust that your care is in the hands of a highly qualified, university-trained Hearing Aid Audiologist dedicated to delivering the highest standard of service.

Your initial hearing test and assessment will take approximately one hour, providing ample time for a comprehensive evaluation of your hearing health. Our expert audiologists use a range of advanced diagnostic tests tailored to assess your hearing accurately and identify any specific challenges or needs.

Rest assured, all the tests are designed to be completely painless and comfortable, ensuring a stress-free experience from start to finish. We are here to guide you every step of the way, answering your questions and helping you take the first step toward better hearing.

Step 1: Video Otoscopic Examination

The process begins with a thorough examination of your outer ears using a video otoscopic camera. This allows the audiologist to check for any abnormalities in the ear canal or eardrum, such as blockages, signs of infection, or excess wax. The visual inspection ensures that your ears are healthy and ready for the next steps in the assessment.

Step 2: Hearing Test in a Sound Booth

Your hearing is tested in a specially designed sound-treated room or booth to ensure accurate results. During this test:

  • Tonal Hearing Assessment:
    Tones of various pitches are presented through either over-ear headphones or small earplugs placed in your ears.

  • Bone Conduction Testing:
    A bone conductor headband is placed behind your ear on the temporal bone. This device transmits sound through bone vibrations directly to the inner ear, helping the audiologist determine the type of hearing loss you may have.

  • Audiogram Creation:
    A map of your hearing, known as an audiogram, is created for each ear based on your responses to the tones.

Step 3: Speech Testing

Speech tests are conducted to evaluate your ability to detect and understand speech. This goes beyond identifying that speech is present—it assesses the level at which you can comprehend words and phrases, providing a fuller picture of your hearing ability in everyday situations.

a woman wearing headphones pointing to the side
a woman wearing headphones pointing to the side
a man holding a gun
a man holding a gun
a man with his hand on his face
a man with his hand on his face

Step 4: Tympanometry

Tympanometry measures how well your eardrums conduct sound and assesses the functionality of the mechanical parts of the ear, such as the ossicles. This test can identify issues like fluid in the middle ear, eardrum perforations, or problems with the Eustachian tube.

Step 5: Real Ear Measurement (REM)

Real Ear Measurement is performed to measure sound levels in your ear canal. This crucial test ensures that any hearing aids prescribed later are programmed precisely to your specific hearing needs. It provides a detailed understanding of how sound is transmitted in your ear canal, contributing to a tailored hearing solution.

The Fergusons Comprehensive &
Thorough Hearing Assessment

Each of these steps is designed to provide a complete understanding of your hearing health. From detecting physical abnormalities to measuring hearing thresholds and assessing how you process speech, every aspect of the assessment is carefully tailored to ensure the most accurate results and personalized care.