Hearing Loss: Audiology and Hearing Test

Your audiologist will start the examination by first checking your ears for any blockages. Sometimes, accumulation of ear wax or other debris can affect your hearing. Once this is then, the doctor will move on to your medical history, asking you pertinent questions such as if anyone else in your family has/had hearing problems, when did you first become aware of the issue and so on. Once the consultation is done, the actual Hearing Test can be performed.

It is very common for doctors to perform an Audiogram to test your hearing. You will be asked to wear headphones and listen to a series of sounds at different tones, volumes and pitches. Depending on how your left and right ears respond to the sounds, your doctor will be able to conclude if you have hearing loss in just one ear or if it’s only an issue at certain volume levels. There may also be a speech test where you will be required to repeat the words you hear to determine how good your hearing is.

Once the Hearing Test is completed and the results are available, your doctor will sit down and discuss your case with you, explaining your condition and offering a list of management strategies and treatment options to deal with it. Treatment for hearing loss include, removal of blockages such as ear wax, fitting of hearing aids to facilitate better hearing and, in some rare cases, surgery to restore/improve hearing.