Hearing Tests in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV

How to Prepare for a Hearing Test

In preparation for your hearing test, gather any information you have about your family medical history, as well as your own. Include information on any recent illnesses, injuries, and current medication you are taking. Additionally, you’ll want to recall if you have recently been exposed to any loud noises.

The first step of the hearing test is a consultation with your audiologist, where you will provide the above information. If you are experiencing tinnitus (a ringing of the ears), be sure to report this as well. Your audiologist will ask about your daily activities and occupation to have a better picture of your lifestyle and factors which may contribute to hearing loss.

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What to Expect at a Hearing Test

  • Physical Examination: Following the consultation, your audiologist will examine your ears with an otoscope. Your audiologist will check your ear canals for buildup of wax, as well as any signs of injury or trauma, or perforation to the eardrum. This physical examination will be painless.
  • A Series of Diagnostic Hearing Tests: After the physical examination, you will be asked to remove your hearing aids, if you are wearing them. You will be seated in a soundproof room or an audiometry lab and given headphones to put on.

Your audiologist will conduct a combination of the following tests:

  • Pure Tone Audiometry: Tones will be played through the headphones you are wearing. They will be played at various volume levels. You will be asked to respond to the tones you hear by pushing a button or raising your hand.
  • Speech Recognition/Word Recognition: Speech recognition is often difficult with certain degrees of hearing loss. Your audiologist will say a series of words in different degrees of loudness, and you will be asked to repeat them. This test will indicate the ease at which you recognize patterns and syllables in terms of conversation.

After the Hearing Test

Your hearing ability will be recorded in an audiogram, a visual representation of your hearing by ear. The speech recognition test will be recorded as a percentage. Audiograms give your audiologist information about the level and severity of your hearing loss, which ranges from mild to profound. From these results, your audiologist will determine whether or not your hearing needs treatment. Based on your consultation earlier, together you and your audiologist will determine the best course of treatment for your hearing loss.

We are here to help you on your path to better hearing.Desert Valley Audiology offers a full range of audiological services with personalized and compassionate care. If you or a loved one are experiencing signs of a hearing loss, give us a call today to schedule an appointment with our Audiologist.