testing

Hearing Evaluations

Adult Hearing Evaluations

Your hearing evaluation will be performed by a nationally certified Doctor of Audiology who is licensed by the State of NH. It will be completed within a comfortably spacious, sound-treated room, constructed to eliminate almost all sound from outside the space.

Your testing will be conducted using insert-style, foam ear plugs that actually go inside your ear canal, rather than the heavy, tight ear muffs that are traditionally used in other facilities. These pliable earplugs mold themselves to the shape of your ear canal, making for a more comfortable test experience and giving us more accurate results to work with. While wearing these plugs, you will be asked to respond to tone sounds as well as words.

Beyond this traditional evaluation, there are also tests to evaluate the ear for signs of allergy, ear infection and acoustic reflexes, as well as measuring the strength of the signal being sent from the ear to the brain. These tests all will require the insertion of a silicone ear plug into the ear canal. For some tests, you may feel some pressure in the ear (like flying on a plane) and for others, you will hear sounds. These tests require you to be very still and quiet, but only for a few minutes.

 

Evaluating Your Child’s Hearing

As the mother of a young child, Dr. Robertson knows the challenges of getting them to cooperate at times. The use of special, interesting techniques helps to encourage them to comply with the test procedure. Younger children will typically appreciate being accompanied by a familiar adult. We recommend that siblings not accompany you and your child to this appointment as they may cause distractions which will deter this procedure and prevent us from getting the most accurate results from your child’s evaluation. For their safety and the consideration of others, children may not be left unaccompanied in the waiting area. 

 

How Much Time to Allow

For both adult and youth evaluations, the complete process is typically completed within 45 minutes and results can be discussed immediately afterward.

TESTS

Signs of a Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear.  Having trouble hearing can make it hard to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. It can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. All of this can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous.  Here are a few signs that you might have hearing loss.

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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?

Who is more likely to experience hearing loss, men or women?
Men are more likely to experience hearing loss than women.
Who is the typical person suffering from tinnitus?
Of adults ages 65 and older in the United States, 12.3 percent of men and nearly 14 percent of women are affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is identified more frequently in white individuals and the prevalence of tinnitus is almost twice as frequent in the South as in the Northeast.
What percentage of American adults report hearing loss?
Approximately 17 percent of American adults report some degree of hearing loss
Is there a connection between hearing loss and age?
There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss.
How does exposure to loud noise impact your hearing?
Approximately 15 percent (26 million) of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds or noise at work or in leisure activities.

Hearing Loss FAQ

bout 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.

Your First Visit

What to expect during your first visit.

Don’t be nervous.  A hearing evaluation is a painless procedure.  We’ll ask a few questions.  Take a look inside your ear and perform a battery of tests.  The test will include listening to a series of tones and a list of words.  At the completion of the test, we’ll provide you with an explanation of the results and a list of recommendations. The entire evalaution from start to finish will take approximately one hour.  

Our Location

211 South Main Street
Laconia, NH 03246

Telephone: 603-528-7700

Toll Free: 800-682-2338

Fax: 603-528-9623

Office Hours:

Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 9-5
Wednesday & Friday 9-2
Late hours on Thursday by prior arrangement only