Comprehensive Hearing Evaluations
Hearing Services
Hearing Evaluations
Hearing is about more than simply detecting sound—it is about staying connected to the people, places, and experiences that matter most. Whether it is the voice of a loved one, birds singing on a summer morning, the sound of wind through the trees, or the laughter of family and friends, hearing plays an important role in how we experience life.
Our comprehensive hearing evaluations go beyond a basic hearing test. In addition to traditional testing, we use advanced assessments such as speech-in-noise testing to better understand how you hear in the real-world listening situations you encounter every day.
Evaluations are performed by a licensed Doctor of Audiology in a comfortable, sound-insulated room using soft insert earphones. These are soft pieces of foam which provide further insulation from external noise and provide more accurate results than headphones which sit on top of your ears. This provide accurate results while remaining comfortable throughout testing. Depending on your needs, additional assessments may be performed to evaluate middle-ear function, inner-ear function, tinnitus concerns, and other factors that affect hearing and communication.
Most evaluations take about one hour and conclude with a clear explanation of your results and personalized recommendations.
Tests May Include:
- Traditional hearing testing (pure tones and speech understanding)
- Speech-in-noise testing
- Tympanometry (middle-ear function)
- Acoustic reflex testing (test of nerve transmission between the muscles of the middle ear and the brain, and back.)
- Otoacoustic emissions (inner-ear function)
- Cognitive screening with Cognivue, when appropriate
TESTS
Signs of a Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. It can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. All of this can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous. Here are a few signs that you might have hearing loss.
Do others complain the TV is too loud?
Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy room?
Do you have more trouble hearing women than men?
Do you ask others to repeat themselves?
Do you avoid going out because you’ll struggle to hear?
Do you notice any ringing or buzzing sounds in either ear?
DID YOU KNOW?
About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.