1. Hearing Exam – Early Detection is Key
Many people suffer from some type of hearing impairment and may not even realize the extent to
which their hearing has deteriorated. A hearing exam is an important diagnostic tool in identifying the
degree and type of hearing impairment. In this way proper treatments can be implemented to
address the problem.
There are many kinds of hearing exams. Some are simple and may be little more than asking a
patient to respond to whispers. However the best kind of exams use a variety of different tests and
diagnostic equipment.
Most good exams use an audiometer to test how well your ears respond to different pure tones. It
can create a profile which helps an
audiologist determine if you have any hearing
loss and type of hearing loss you may be
experiencing.
Other tests can include tympanometry. This
test involves introducing a tone and 3 second
of air pressure into the ear canal. The
readout from this test indicates how efficient
your eardrums are and whether there may be
wax blockage or other obstructions.
Hearing loss from these factors can usually
be easily corrected with cleaning of the ears
and other medical procedures. And another commonly used test is a speech audiometry exam. It
presents spoken words and tests your sensitivity to them.
And an OTA test is ideal for small children, infants or developmentally challenged people who cannot
otherwise respond to traditional tests.
A hearing exam can be administered by a professional audiologist. The type of test administered
may depend on the type of problem the examiners feel you may be experiencing.
In any case a hearing exam is an important way to help identify potential hearing problems. Early
detection is important is helping to bring relief to the patient through effective treatments.