Many people don’t realize they’re experiencing hearing loss until it significantly impacts their daily life. Small changes happen gradually, making them easy to miss or dismiss. High Desert Hearing Center’s hearing professionals provide thorough evaluations that can detect these changes early, when they’re most manageable. We use precise testing methods to identify exactly what you’re hearing – and what you might be missing.
Your hearing health affects everything from work performance to personal relationships. Unlike vision problems that are often immediately noticeable, hearing issues can go undetected for years while silently affecting your quality of life. We believe that professional hearing testing should be a regular part of your healthcare routine, just like dental checkups or eye exams. Our hearing professionals are here to help you understand your hearing health and find practical solutions that work for your lifestyle.
What To Expect During Your Diagnostic Audiologic Evaluation
Hearing test appointments typically last about an hour. That includes 30-40 minutes of testing, which is non-invasive and non-painful. Afterward, you’ll get to discuss the results with your hearing professional and listen to their personalized recommendation for treatment moving forward.
If you end up needing a hearing aid, this is when you’ll discuss product options. We’ll help you choose a model that meets all of your needs and preferences and then order it from the manufacturer. We’ll schedule a follow-up appointment for when it arrives to fine-tune the device’s settings to your unique needs.
The Hearing Tests We Use
The specific tests we use can vary based on your health background and hearing care needs. With that being said, here are some of the most common kinds of tests we use and how they work.
Pure-Tone and Bone Conduction
Each of these tests helps us assess the quietest tones you can hear across different sound frequencies. Pure-tone testing asks you to listen while your hearing professional plays sounds. All you’ll need to do is tell us what you hear so we can record the data.
Bone conduction testing is very similar, but it uses a different kind of headset to give your hearing professional different information. The vast majority of patients end up completing both of these tests.
Speech Testing
We also often use speech testing to verify the results of pure-tone and bone conduction tests. This just asks you to listen to pre-recorded words and let us know what you hear. The goal is to assess the lowest levels at which you can clearly identify speech.
Additional Tests as Necessary
In addition to pure tone, bone conduction and speech testing, a hearing professional may use other evaluations to get a more complete understanding of your hearing. Tympanometry measures how well your eardrum moves in response to changes in air pressure, helping to detect fluid buildup or other middle ear issues. Acoustic reflex testing assesses how the muscles in your ear respond to loud sounds, providing insight into the function of your auditory pathway. Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing checks the response of the inner ear’s hair cells, which can help identify early signs of hearing damage. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing measures how the hearing nerve and brainstem respond to sound, often used to assess more complex hearing concerns. These additional tests help pinpoint the cause of hearing difficulties and guide recommendations for the best solutions.
Planning for Your Hearing Test Appointment
You should come to your evaluation ready to share some information about your health background. Your team will want to complete your medical history before making a personalized recommendation for care.
You may also want to bring a family member with you to your appointment. They can help you remember everything you learn and ask the big questions you may not think about during the visit.