What Happens at a Hearing Test?

Once you’ve been diagnosed with a hearing loss, it’s important to have an annual hearing test to detect any further changes to your hearing.

If you wear hearing aids, you’ll want to get regular hearing tests to ensure that your hearing aids are properly programmed.

Over time, your listening preferences can change, so we check for any performance inhibitors such as feedback or damage.

With just a quick visit to the office, we can identify issues ahead of time rather than dealing with the long-term consequences and, ultimately, last-minute measures.

How Often Should You Get a Hearing Test?

Once you have been fitted with hearing aids, you’ll want to get tested within six months after fitting to check for any irregularities.

After that, you should be visiting the office every year for a hearing check-up. At your appointment, we can discuss your progress, how you’re adjusting to hearing aids, and if any issues have arisen during this time.

The goal is to make sure everything is working for you.

One question people often ask is, “Should I only get a hearing test when I’m experiencing challenges?”

The answer is no.

Once you’re 50, you should start getting hearing tests to monitor your hearing.

Statistically, we start losing our hearing in our 40s, so it’s a good idea to look after your hearing throughout your life.

How Does a Hearing Test Work?

Firstly, we will check your ear canals and perform a tympanometry and acoustic reflexes test, which will tell us the volume of the ear canal and the pressure movement in response to sound.

This is useful for checking for any ear infections or dysfunctions in your inner ear.

Then, we will ask you to put some headphones on and we will present pure tones. To measure sounds, you will press a button to say “Yes” every time you hear the beep.

This test helps us to understand the frequency of which you can hear and is particularly useful when testing children’s hearing.

Speech testing is a method we will use to see how you hear at the lowest level, as well as a comfortable level, to mark the percentage of words you can hear.

This looks into how well you can speak and repeat words. These results are then compared to pure-tone testing to analyze for hearing loss.

Bone conduction is when we place an apparatus behind your ear on the mastoid bone. We will send the sounds through your mastoid bone and this will tell us if there’s anything else going on in the middle ear.

Ready to start your journey to better hearing?

How Much Does a Hearing Test Cost?

In our clinic, the price of a hearing test is $85, but this is combined into a package when paired with hearing aids.

How Long Does a Hearing Test Take?

Generally, a hearing test takes anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes.

Online Hearing Assessment vs. Comprehensive Booth Assessment?

With the rise of over-the-counter hearing aid products, many users are turning to online hearing tests rather than visiting a hearing healthcare professional.

While online hearing tests are a quick and easy way to get a hearing check, what makes them different from the ones we offer in our clinic?

Firstly, the level of equipment used is by no means the same level of precision and accuracy as the ones utilized in an audiology clinic.

Secondly, a hearing test in a clinic isn’t just about your hearing. We also go through a series of operations to understand more about you, personally.

This evaluates your lifestyle, budget, and listening preferences so we can accurately determine what is going to work for you in the long run.

In the circumstance that an online hearing test has been completed and it shows you have some hearing loss, you should take immediate action and get a professional hearing test from an audiologist in a clinic.

Where Can I Get A Hearing Test?

Regular hearing assessments are vital for maintaining overall well-being.

If you or a loved one has recently noticed a change in your hearing, then it’s a good idea to get your hearing checked. With their many years of experience, the doctors at American Hearing and Balance can comprehensively test your hearing and work out the best solution for you. We are conveniently located in Westchester, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Westwood and Long Beach.