Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss, a problem that becomes significantly more common with age. In-depth hearing evaluations play a critical role in diagnosing the cause of hearing loss and in mapping out a plan of treatment to restore hearing and improve your quality of life.
In this post, the team at ENT Specialists offers an overview of what to expect during a hearing evaluation, so you can feel relaxed, confident, and informed.
Before beginning any hearing tests, our team discusses any symptoms you may have noticed, like a sensation of fullness in your ears, high-pitched buzzing or ringing noises, difficulty hearing in crowds or noisy environments, or needing to turn up the volume on the TV or phone. Issues with dizziness or balance are important, too, since your ears and hearing play a role in these functions as well as in hearing.
We’ll ask about when symptoms began, if they’re continual or triggered by outside events (like loud noise), and whether hearing is affected in both ears or just one. Finally, we’ll ask about recent and long-term noise exposure, including loud environments at work or regular headphone use.
We’ll also ask about any prior hearing issues, like ear surgery, chronic sinus problems, or ear infections going back to childhood. Because certain medications can increase your risk of hearing issues, be ready to discuss any current medications you’re taking on a regular basis.
Once we’ve gathered background information about your hearing and overall wellness, we’ll recommend a series of tests to evaluate your hearing and determine the cause of any symptoms you’re having.
Our team performs a physical examination of your ears, using special instruments to inspect the external ear, the ear canal, and the eardrum, checking for wax buildup, trapped fluid, scarring, inflammation, and other issues that could play a role in hearing or balance.
Finally, it’s time for your hearing tests. These tests and evaluations are completely painless. Some tests involve wearing headphones while sounds or voices are played at varying volumes. During this test, you’ll listen carefully and respond when you detect a sound. This test can be performed on each ear individually and on both ears at once.
Other tests use a tiny probe placed in the ear to measure acoustic reflexes in your middle ear. These reflexes occur when your middle ear detects sound, and the presence and strength of the reflexes can provide a surprising amount of information about your hearing and any problems you may be experiencing.
Tympanometry evaluates the function of your eardrum (tympanic membrane). During this test, we administer tiny puffs of air inside your ear via a tiny probe. The puffs cause your eardrum to move, creating a graph called a tympanogram. This graph can help us learn if the eardrum is unusually stiff, if there’s a hole in your eardrum, or if your eardrum is just fine, helping us rule out eardrum-related issues.
This test measures the amount of air in your ear canals. Depending on those measurements, we can spot tiny holes in your eardrum that could be affecting your hearing. This test is also used for people who have tubes inserted in their ears to improve drainage and prevent chronic infections, and it can be very helpful in identifying the presence of fluid behind the eardrum.
After your testing is complete, our team explains the results to you, along with recommendations of treatments that can help relieve your symptoms and protect your ears and your hearing. Your results also serve as a baseline to help us detect changes in the future, so we can provide updated care as soon as possible.
If you’re experiencing symptoms like hearing issues, dizziness, or balance problems, scheduling a hearing evaluation is critical. To learn more or to schedule your own exam and testing, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at ENT Specialists in Salt Lake City, Murray, Magna, Draper, and Tooele, Utah, today.
