Hearing Tests Guide

Just like hair loss can affect our self-confidence and lifestyle, hearing loss is another condition that can literally affect on one's lifestyle, self-confidence and psychological condition. Not being able to hear can be devastating especially if the person is young. Unfortunately, hearing loss can happen at any age of life, so no one can be sure that this won't happen to them. Usually, hearing loss is gradual so the individual can't even realize that he/she has an issue.

With hearing loss being the most common chronic condition facing adults and young children in Australia, it is of vital importance to remain educated in hearing health.

Getting A Hearing Test

The purpose of a hearing test is to determine whether the person has a loss, how severe it is and what type of treatment should be applied. Most hearing tests require the individual to be in a quiet and soundproof room, wearing special headphones or earplugs.

Types Of Hearing Tests

Considering the idea of doing a hearing test is not enough. Hearing test Melbourne experts recommend individuals firstly to find a reliable and trustworthy clinic that has skilled experts, well-known as audiologist. An experienced audiologist can give you the best services and can perform any type of test professionally.

Whispered Speech Test – While performing a whispered speech test, the audiologist will ask you to cover the opening of your ear with one finger. He/she will stand 0.3m to 0.6m behind you and whisper some words. You will need to repeat those words and in case you cannot hear them at a soft whisper, the health professional will keep saying the words more loudly until you can hear them. On that way he/she can determine your hearing loss severity. The test is performed on both ears.
Pure Tone Audiometry - Pure tone audiometry is a test, which with the help of a special machine called an audiometer plays a series of tones through headphones. The tones vary in frequency (measured in hertz) and intensity (measured in decibels). The audiologist will control the volume of the emitted tone and reduce its loudness until you cannot longer hear the sound. After that, the sound will get louder until you can hear it again. Every time you hear a sound, you will need to press a button or raise your hand. The test will be repeated several times on each ear. After done, the headphones will be removed, and a special device will be placed on the bone behind your ears and you will again need to raise your hand or press a button every time you hear a sound.
Speech Reception And Word Recognition Tests - These tests measure your ability to hear and normal conversation. During the tests, you will be asked to repeat some words spoken with different degree of loudness.
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Testing - Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test is usually used on newborns to screen any hearing problems. In this test, a small, soft microphone is placed in the baby's ear canal that emits soft sounds and te microphone detects the inner ear's response to the sound.
Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR) Testing - Auditory brain stem response (ABR) or also known as brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER) consists of electrodes placed on your scalp and on each earlobe. Clicking noises are sent through earphones and the brain responses to them are recorded on a graph.

Having a hearing test performed is the first step to treating a possible hearing loss. If you suspect a hearing loss, immediately make an appointment with a professional hearing test Melbourne healthcare provider as soon as possible.