What are the Most Common Hearing Tests Conducted?

When it comes to evaluating your hearing, audiologists use a variety of tests to assess different aspects of your auditory system. Each test is designed to provide specific information about hearing health, allowing audiologists to develop the best treatment plan for individuals. Knowing the basics of these tests can help you feel more prepared and confident when it’s time to check your hearing.

Pure-Tone Audiometry

Pure-tone audiometry is the most widely used hearing test and is typically the first step in a comprehensive hearing evaluation. During this test, you will wear headphones and listen to a series of tones at different pitches and volumes. Your task is to indicate when you hear a tone, no matter how faint. The results are plotted on an audiogram, which helps your audiologist determine your hearing thresholds – the softest sounds you can hear at each frequency. This test is for diagnosing the degree and type of hearing loss you may have.

Speech Audiometry

Speech audiometry assesses your ability to hear and understand speech, which is critical for effective communication in everyday life. During the test, you will be asked to repeat words or sentences spoken at different volumes. The audiologist will measure your speech reception threshold, the softest level at which you can understand speech and your word recognition score, which indicates how well you can identify spoken words at a comfortable listening level.

Tympanometry

Tympanometry evaluates the condition of your middle ear, including the eardrum and the small bones that conduct sound to the inner ear. During this test, a small probe is placed in your ear canal, and your audiologist varies the air pressure to see how your eardrum responds. Tympanometry can help identify issues such as fluid in the middle ear, Eustachian tube dysfunction or a perforated eardrum. It is a quick and painless test that provides important information about the health of your middle ear.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing

Otoacoustic emissions testing measures the sounds produced by the inner ear in response to an external stimulus. These sounds, known as otoacoustic emissions, are a byproduct of the cochlea’s normal functioning and can be measured with a small probe placed in the ear canal. OAE testing is often used for newborn hearing screenings. The presence or absence of OAEs can help the audiologist determine whether hearing loss is due to a problem in the inner ear or another part of the auditory system.

Learning about the most common hearing tests can help you feel more comfortable during a hearing evaluation. Each test helps to measure different parts of your hearing and giving your audiologist valuable information to diagnose and address any hearing loss. Each test contributes to a comprehensive understanding of your hearing health, helping you and your audiologist make informed decisions about your auditory well-being. If you want to learn more about the different hearing tests or have been diagnosed with hearing loss and want to know the different treatments available, schedule an appointment with an audiologist.