What is a hearing test?
Hearing health care begins with a full diagnostic hearing assessment. Whether you are referred by your GP for a comprehensive hearing evaluation or you come to us because you have concerns about your hearing the first thing we do is conduct a comprehensive hearing assessment to determine the cause of your hearing difficulties and to rule out any underlying medical conditions. Through the use of advanced diagnostic equipment, we will thoroughly evaluate your hearing health, explain the results to you, and send a written report to your GP or referring Ear Specialist if required. A comprehensive diagnostic hearing tests takes an hour and costs $75.
Otoscopy
An otoscope is what we use to examine the ear canal and eardrum. It enables us to look for abnormalities inside the ear, such as a hole in the eardrum, inflammation, or infection.
Tympanometry/Acoustic reflex testing
Tympanometry measures the movement of the eardrum. It is useful in identifying the origin of a hearing loss, diagnosing ear infections or tympanic perforations and looking for other middle ear abnormalities. Acoustic reflex testing checks for a muscle contraction to loud sounds. If properly administered and interpreted, acoustic reflex test results can provide information about the function of the hearing nerve, facial nerve, and part of the auditory portion of the brainstem. It can also be used to confirm the type and degree of hearing loss.
Audiometry
The “hearing test” part of the assessment is called Audiometry. Insert earphones are placed inside the person’s ear canals and he or she is asked to press a button every time they hear a beeping sound. A bone conductor is also used, which transmits sound directly to the inner ear. The results of this test are called an Audiogram and are used to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. Results are also used to determine appropriate hearing aid options.
Speech audiometry
Speech audiometry evaluates the ability to hear and to understand speech at various levels. This test can be useful in determining how much a person may benefit from wearing hearing aids.
Discussion of Results and Recommendations
The results will then be discussed with you in a way that you can understand. If the results show that you would most likely benefit from hearing aids we will tell you. If you want to discuss hearing aid options we will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about which hearing aids will meet your needs, lifestyle and budget. As an independent clinic we are not aligned with any one manufacturer so we are free to choose the best option for you from a range of hearing aid brands and models. Our prices are very competitive because we are a small company with lower overheads.
We will not pressure you into trialling hearing aids. Ultimately it is up to you to decide whether you want to take the next step to improve your hearing. If you do decide that the trial of hearing aids is the right decision for you then we are there to assist you every step of the way.