What Happens in a Hearing Check?

Hearing checks are quick, painless and potentially life-changing. Like a check up with a doctor, you should consider having an annual hearing check. After all, if you’re suffering from hearing loss, the sooner you get a diagnosis, the better.

Hearing is a complex system, so getting a comprehensive hearing check will involve several procedures, none of which are painful or invasive. Together, they’ll give you a clear understanding of your hearing health – and your Audiologist a clear understanding of what precautions, treatments or hearing aids to recommend.

When Should You Have a Hearing Check?

Whatever your situation, it's worthwhile getting a hearing check to establish a baseline for your hearing health. Especially if you're worried about your hearing, work in a high-noise environment, are over 60 or have noticed changes in your hearing. Your hearing changes over time, so we recommend regular checks to catch any changes and address them promptly. 

The benefits of regular testing include suggestions on preventive measures to protect your hearing and early diagnosis of any problems. That said, even a one-off check has value, as it will provide a standard against which to measure any future hearing changes. 

Sam Thomas, a hearing specialist for Connect Hearing, agrees: “Firstly, a hearing check is going to tell you whether you have a hearing loss or not.”

“Next, by getting a hearing check with a hearing health professional, it’s going to tell you what your baseline is, so the next time you get another hearing check, you’ve got something to compare those results to.” ¹

What Happens When You Visit an Audiologist?

When you visit an Audiologist, the first thing they’ll likely do is to get your case history. Usually, this involves filling out a form covering:  

• Your hearing health, including ear infections or surgeries
• Your medical history, including major illnesses or medications
• Any family history of hearing loss
• Your exposure to loud noise at work or in other environments
• Any situations where you’re having hearing or communication difficulties.

Then, they’ll check your ears with an otoscope (a handheld tool with a light and a magnifying lens).² This will identify any abnormalities and ear wax build-up. Your Audiologist may be able to clear out any build-up on the spot or provide you with next steps to address the issue. 

With these preliminary steps done, you’ll then take a few different checks. These can involve wearing headphones, listening to various tones and checking your ears’ frequency response. They may also include sitting in a soundproof room and repeating or responding to recorded speech.³

Types of Hearing Checks

As your ears are complex, there are checks to check different functions and sensitivities. The most common checks include:⁴

• Pure-tone checking: to find the lowest volume you can hear at different pitches.
• Bone conduction checking: to discover whether something within your ear is contributing towards your hearing loss. For example, ear wax, fluid or a hole in your ear drum.
• Speech checking: to determine how you understand speech by listening to and/or repeating words (with and without background noise).
• Tympanometry: to check how well your eardrum moves; this can tell if you have a ruptured eardrum, fluid in your middle ear or wax in your ear canal.
• Video otoscopy: to capture high resolution images of your outer ear.⁵ 

After Checking

Once you’ve finished your checks, your Audiologist will talk you through the results and may show you an audiogram – a chart showing each ear’s hearing level at different frequencies. If any treatments or interventions (such as hearing aids) are needed, your Audiologist will discuss these with you.

Regular hearing checks are not only easy but also valuable for maintaining your overall well-being. Your local Connect Hearing clinic can help ensure your hearing is at its best so you can stay connected with loved ones, enjoy your favourite activities and maintain your independence.

But let’s give Sam the last word: “A hearing check is a good way of picking up any potential medical concerns that are happening with your hearing health, and are going to help to inform your decisions as to whether you should be talking to your doctor about your hearing.”

References:

1. Connect Hearing (7 March 2024), Ask Sam: Why should I do a hearing test?, Connect Hearing, accessed 25 March 2024.
2. ​Connect Hearing (4 September 2023), Why Do You Need an Otoscopy?, Connect Hearing, accessed 25 March 2024.
3. WebMD (28 May 2023), Hearing Tests for Adults: What to Expect, WebMD, accessed 25 March 2024.
4. Cleveland Clinic (n.d.), Hearing Test, Cleveland Clinic, accessed 25 March 2024.
5. Diagnostics (n.d.), Video Otoscope Benefits Overview, e3 Diagnostics, accessed 25 March 2024.