Commonly Asked Questions About Hearing Tests

If you’ve never had a hearing test before, but you think you may need to have one soon, chances are you have a lot of questions about the process. Most people feel more comfortable about having hearing tests when they know what to expect, but many people also feel embarrassed about asking their hearing instrument specialist (HIS) what is likely to happen during the test – there is no need to feel silly because hearing instrument specialists want you to be as comfortable as possible during your evaluation – but just in case you can’t get the answers you need, we will take on some of the most commonly asked questions about hearing tests below.

Is There Anything You Can Do to Prepare for Your Hearing Test?

A lot of people wonder if there is anything they can do to better prepare them for their hearing test. The fact is, your HIS will be doing most of the work, so you don’t really need to do anything much before you attend your appointment. However, the hearing instrument specialist will need to know as much as they can about your hearing and what you have been experiencing before they do the test, so you may find it helpful to make a note of your hearing health history or as much of it as you can remember any symptoms you’ve been having and any family history of hearing issues that it might be useful for the HIS to know.

Are Hearing Tests Painful?

Many people, ahead of their first hearing test appointment, wonder if the process will hurt. The good news is that hearing tests as performed by professional hearing instrument specialists are non-invasive, and they will not hurt. The HIS will use an otoscope and tympanometry to measure how well your hearing is working and you will have to listen to a number of sounds at various pitches and volumes through a set of headphones, but there is nothing that should hurt you and you have absolutely nothing to worry about because your HIS will do everything they can to put you at ease on the day.

How Long Does a Hearing Test Take?

Wondering how long a hearing test lasts? On average, it will be an hour, but don’t let this put you off because, if you need a hearing test, you need one and delaying in having one could mean that you experience more significant hearing loss, which will negatively impact your life. Most of the time, your hearing test results will be shared with you at the end of your test appointment, so after only an hour, you will have some answers about your hearing health.

What Do Hearing Test Results Look Like?

Hearing aid test results come in the form of an audiogram, which your HIS will show you following the test. This is a graph that shows which sounds you can hear at various volumes and pitches, Your HIS can use this to determine exactly how well you can hear, and if you are experiencing hearing loss. Some tests will also flag how good your speech recognition is, but this isn’t always the case, so if that’s something you would be interested to know, you should discuss it with your hearing professional ahead of taking the test. 

If your hearing test does show signs of hearing loss, your hearing instrument specialist will then discuss any possible avenues of treatment, usually the possibility of being fitted with hearing aids, that you will be able to benefit from.

You can always ask you HIS any questions you may have about the result and they will be only too happy to clarify things with you, so don’t feel too embarrassed to speak up – it’s important that you understand exactly what is going on with your hearing health.

Will I Need More Than One Test?

Because hearing health can degrade over time, you may well need to have another hearing test in the future and your HIS will discuss this with you during your appointment, but often, you will only need to be reevaluated if you notice a change to your hearing, such as a worsening of hearing loss in which case you should make an appointment.

Get in touch withs Nu-Life Hearing Centre 

If you would like to know more about what happens during a hearing aid test or like to book a test with a qualified HIS today, please get in touch with Nu-Life Hearing Centre on (855) 867-7449 today. Your hearing health matters to us.