Hearing Test

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Have you been saying “What?” or “Come again?” more often? Are your family members complaining about the loudness of the TV or speakers whenever you’re around? You might need a hearing test. Every once in a while, your physician may ask you to get a hearing test. At this point, you need not WORRY. Routine hearing tests are carried out just to make sure that your ears are still working well. A hearing test is essential because there are some, if not most, types of hearing loss happen GRADUALLY. This means that you may not notice the symptoms of hearing loss until it is in the severe or extreme stage. Hearing Health Clinic offers comprehensive hearing tests in the Osseo, MN area. Call us for an appointment  with an audiologist.

Hearing Test – Hearing Health Clinic, Osseo MN

Our hearing clinic offers hearing tests to efficiently and accurately provide hearing loss treatments.  Audiologists at Hearing Health Clinic are experts in carrying out different hearing tests and are guaranteed to provide ACCURATE test results.  At Hearing Health Clinic, we understand that a hearing test is a rock-solid foundation in providing the best and tailor-fit treatment for each person’s unique hearing loss.

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Traditional vs Online Hearing Test

Almost EVERYTHING is available ONLINE -and that includes hearing tests. Google ‘hearing test’ and you’ll see different available online versions of such tests. While there is nothing wrong with taking an online hearing test, we would still recommend going to a hearing clinic to back-up or correlate the results to a hearing test carried out by an audiologist. 

In terms of accuracy, it’s hard to trust the results of an online hearing test. It may be partially accurate but the results of a hearing test done in a hearing clinic is the most accurate. Why? Well, take for example our own Hearing Health Clinic. We carry out hearing tests using different technologies and equipment that online hearing tests do not and can not offer.  It’s just like taking an online personality test vs going to a psychiatrist. You get the picture, right? 

Hearing Test Results

Whenever we hear the word test, something triggers the “nervous” button in our system. Whether it’s a test at school or a medical test, there’s really some jitters that come along with it.

The good news is, a hearing test is NOT a pass-fail exam. However, the results can determine how much hearing is gone or whether you have hearing loss in one or both ears.

To better understand your hearing test results, here’s the key takeaways:

Sound intensity is measured by DECIBELS. A whisper is around 30 decibels, normal speech is at 60 decibels while a scream may fall at 80 decibels. 

If your hearing test shows that you have hearing loss of up to 25 decibels, don’t fret – your hearing is still normal.

Here’s a breakdown of hearing loss per range:
Mild hearing loss: 26- 40 dB
Moderate hearing loss: 41-55 dB
Moderate-to-severe hearing loss: 56-70 dB
Severe hearing loss: 71-90 dB
Profound hearing loss: 91-100 dB

You may be astonished to discover that your hearing test results show that you have significant hearing loss. This means that the hearing loss may have crept up gradually. Now, see the importance of getting regular hearing tests?

Based on your hearing test results, your primary care physician may refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor or an audiologist. You can also directly go to a hearing clinic to get a hearing test. Hearing Health Clinic, Osseo MN offers hearing tests among other hearing-related services.

Questions about Hearing Tests

What happens during a hearing test?

A typical hearing test usually takes around 20-30 minutes and is absolutely PAINLESS.

If this is your first time to get a hearing test, let your worries drift away because the process is brief and non-invasive.

During the hearing test, you will be asked to wear earphones and listen to short tones or audio prompts that are played at different pitches and volumes, one ear at a time. A hearing test is designed to determine whether you can hear (and how well you can hear) each sound, including the high and low pitches.

A hearing test will also determine whether you are picking up loud or quiet sounds and will also establish if you have hearing loss on the left and/or right ear.   

There are also some hearing tests where you will be asked to listen to speech at different volume levels, one ear at a time. You will then be asked to repeat the words that were just said. This type of hearing test may be done in a noisy or quiet room, just to determine if you are having trouble hearing over background noise.  

Why Would I Need a Hearing Test?

If you SUSPECT that you may have hearing loss, there’s no excuse to dilly-dally or shrug it off. Hearing is precious and you wouldn’t want to regret not getting the needed intervention in the earlier stages of hearing loss, right?

For all you know, you may already be carrying some type of hearing loss. If your doctor says you should get a hearing test, do so, even if you think that you’re hearing just fine. It’s much better to be safe than sorry.

If you won’t do anything to address your hearing loss, you’ll end up feeling isolated and left out of social events and daily conversations that you usually enjoy. You might end up creating a communication barrier with your friends and family because you’re embarrassed to always ask them to repeat themselves.

All it takes is to take the first step – and that is to get a hearing test.

What happens after a hearing test?

So you’ve already submitted yourself to a hearing test – what now?  After a hearing test, an audiologist will go over the results to lay out different options for intervention. These will all be discussed with you and during this stage, feel free to ask questions.

Where is a hearing test performed?

A hearing test is done in a sound booth or in a soundproof room to guarantee that the test will be as accurate as possible, masking the ears from any external noise that may tamper the result. 

Here’s a good question – what about patients who are claustrophobic and would feel uncomfortable being in an enclosed space? Don’t worry, we have what we call a Plan B. The hearing test will be performed outside the sound booth BUT the patient will need to wear a special set of headphones (bigger ones) to compensate for not being in a soundproof room.

Why is it important to have a hearing test?

Whether you admit it or not, constantly asking people to repeat oneself is not only tiresome but embarrassing. Numerous studies have established strong connections between hearing loss and health concerns, including depression and dementia.

People who are fitted with hearing aids in the early stages of hearing loss significantly reduce their risk of suffering from cognitive decline.

We also advocate regular hearing tests for children. Identifying hearing problems early on in childhood can greatly help in preventing negative impacts in a child’s speech, language development, education and social skills.

Hearing loss treatment is MORE effective if problems are detected and managed properly in the EARLY stages.