23 October 2019
 Categories: , Blog

Many people go for regular GP check-ups for their general wellbeing; however, they fail to obtain regular hearing checks to ensure their hearing is in functioning order. It is important to regularly obtain hearing checks even if you do feel that you can hear well. Here are some signs of hearing problems you can look out for:

• ears that feel as though they are ringing
• talking louder than normal in conversations
• straining to hear
• difficulty hearing when there is a lot of background noise
• watching TV or listening to the radio at high volumes

What happens during a hearing test?

This depends on the type of hearing test. Types of hearing tests include the following:

1. Pure tone audiometry tests. Basically, in this type of hearing test, an audiometer is used to produce a series of sounds (usually beeps or whistles). If the patient can hear the sound, they press a button to indicate this. These sounds may be heard through headphones to test air conduction hearing, or through a vibrator located behind the ear to test hearing through the inner ear pathways. 
2. Speech discrimination tests. The purpose of this test is to see how clearly a person is able to hear speech. In this test, the patient is asked to repeat words spoken to them. The words are spoken at different frequencies to test for sound loss at various pitches. Age-related hearing loss can often be picked up during this test.  
3. Hearing tests through an online platform. These are a convenient form of hearing test that a person can take from the comfort of their home. The person wears headphones and checks the quality of their hearing amidst different levels of background noise. This test is a revolutionary test that takes a mere five minutes to evaluate people's hearing ability. Note that this is only suitable for adults. 

Hearing tests for young children and babies

Babies and children should not be ruled out when talking about hearing loss. For such young ages, different types of hearing tests are used:

• Objective tests. These are used for babies under the age of 6 months to evaluate their hearing ability.

• Visual reinforcement orientation. In this test, a baby's response to a sound stimulus is evaluated. For instance, shaking a rattle and seeing whether the baby turns its head towards the sound. 

• Play audiometry. This test is used for older children. In it, a sound stimulus is used in a game setting, and the response to it is evaluated.

Speak to a hearing professional today to find out more about hearing tests.