Hearing Tests

The first step on your path to better hearing.

What to Expect When You Visit Our Office

Our goal is to solve your problem. We administer hearing tests to help us to figure out what might be wrong. Our staff has specialized training in identifying and measuring the type and degree of hearing loss and recommending treatment options.

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Step One - Case History

Before we begin the hearing test, we’ll gather some background information. This includes your personal and family medical history, any current health concerns and medications you’re taking, as well as details about your work and hobbies that might impact your hearing. This comprehensive information helps us understand your specific needs.

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Step Two - Otoscopic Examination

During the otoscopic ear exam, our professionals will use an otoscope to visually inspect your ear canals and eardrums for any obstructions, such as excessive earwax, or other potential issues like growths, infections, or foreign objects. We’ll also examine the appearance of your eardrums and outer ears for any signs of medical concerns or abnormalities that could affect your hearing. If needed, we can safely remove any obstructing earwax using a microscope.

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Step Three - Hearing Testing

During the hearing test, we’ll assess your hearing through air conduction using headphones to play tones at different frequencies, measuring your ability to hear them. Bone conduction, using a small device behind your ear, helps identify potential middle ear blockages by directly stimulating the hearing nerve. Speech testing evaluates your understanding of male and female voices at varying volumes, both in quiet and noisy environments. Finally, we’ll determine your uncomfortable loudness levels (UCLs) to understand your hearing range and identify sounds that you find too loud.

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Step Four - Review

Following your case history, ear exam, and hearing tests, our Hearing Care Professionals will review your results, explaining what they mean in relation to your hearing and comparing them to normal hearing levels, which will be plotted on a chart for your understanding. If any medical concerns arise, we will coordinate with your primary care physician and refer you to a specialist if needed. If hearing aids are recommended, we’ll discuss solutions tailored to your lifestyle, hearing loss, and budget, and explore ways to protect your hearing. A separate hearing aid evaluation may be scheduled to determine the most suitable devices for your specific needs.

Learn More About Hearing Loss

We’ve found that our patients truly want to better understand as much as they can about hearing and hearing loss. We’re glad we can be a resource for information.

1. Is there a link between hearing loss and age?

There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss.

2. Does exposure to loud noise impact your hearing?

Approximately 15 percent (26 million) of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds or noise at work or in leisure activities.

3. Is it possible to lose your hearing suddenly?

Approximately 4,000 new cases of sudden deafness occur each year in the United States. Hearing loss affects only 1 ear in 9 out of 10 people who experience sudden deafness. Only 10 to 15 percent of patients with sudden deafness know what caused their loss.

4. Who is the typical person suffering from tinnitus?

Of adults ages 65 and older in the United States, 12.3 percent of men and nearly 14 percent of women are affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is identified more frequently in white individuals and the prevalence of tinnitus is almost twice as frequent in the South as in the Northeast.

5. Are there different types of hearing loss?

Types of Hearing Loss

There are four commonly recognized different types of hearing loss:

Conductive
Sensorineural
Mixed
Central

Conductive Hearing Loss

A conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum, or through the tiny bones of the middle ear. This results in a reduction of the loudness of a sound. Common causes of a conductive hearing loss include:

Trauma to the ear
Fluid in the middle ear
Excessive wax in the outer ear canal
Outer ear infection

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Often referred to (in error) as “nerve deafness” a sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells in the cochlea. These cells cannot be repaired or replaced. Common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:

Exposure to loud noises
The aging process
Viral Infections
Trauma to the ear
Medications that are toxic to the ear

Typically a sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and irreversible. The only solution for most people with a sensorineural hearing loss to improve their ability to hear is to use hearing aids.

Mixed Hearing Loss

Some people have both a conductive and a sensorineural hearing loss. A combination of the two different types is referred to as a mixed hearing loss. For example, a mixed loss can occur when someone has a sensorineural hearing loss and develops fluid in their middle ear causing a conductive hearing loss. They may notice a decline in their ability to hear as a result of the temporary change in their hearing caused by the conductive hearing loss. Once the conductive hearing loss is resolved, their hearing levels should return to the level it was prior to the conductive hearing loss.

Central Hearing Loss

Our outer and inner ears allow us to “hear” sound, but the brain, allows us to “understand” sound. Various medical issues can cause our processing of auditory stimuli to breakdown causing a central hearing loss also known as an auditory processing disorder. Persons with a central hearing loss can hear sound but have difficulty with understanding or processing what they heard. When a central hearing loss is suspected, there are tests that can be done to determine if a hearing loss is due to a central auditory processing problem.

Touch Screen Kiosk

Did you know that approximately 36 million Americans experience significant hearing loss, negatively impacting their quality of life? Untreated hearing loss has been linked to decreased work productivity, social difficulties, strained relationships, and, according to Johns Hopkins University research, an increased risk of dementia.

Neighborhood Hearing Aid Centers is committed to improving lives by helping people manage hearing impairment. We’re excited to offer a unique solution: the Touch Screen Hearing Kiosk. Winner of “BEST OF SHOW” at a major industry convention, this free and user-friendly kiosk provides a quick hearing check with video guidance. If signs of significant hearing loss are detected, users can request a FREE Hearing Report and a FREE consultation at one of our conveniently located clinics.

Adding a Touch Screen Hearing Kiosk to your location demonstrates your commitment to the health and well-being of your patients and clients – at absolutely no cost to you!

For more information, please contact Ryan at 844-385-2601.