HEARING TESTS

First you will meet with one of our Audiologists to review your medical history. We will take this time to get to know you better and find out what you are experiencing. We will discuss the different symptoms you may have, current medical conditions, and the areas in your life that are being affected.

The Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) is a self-assessment designed to evaluate the impact of hearing loss on an individual’s daily life and emotional well-being. This questionnaire helps our Audiologists gain insights into the functional and psychosocial consequences of hearing loss for each patient.

Otoscopy is a visual exam of the ear using an otoscopy. During this exam, the Audiologist will examine the outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum to assess health and identify any abnormalities or conditions affecting the ear. We also look for earwax during this exam, to see if removal is necessary prior to testing.

These are two commonly used procedures in Audiology to help assess the function of the middle ear and the reflexive responses of the auditory system. Tympanometry can provide valuable information about the middle ear health and mobility of the eardrum. Reflex testing provides information about the function of the auditory nerve and the brainstem pathways involved in the reflex response.

These are two of the most fundamental tests used by Audiologists to assess hearing abilities and identify the type and degree of hearing loss. During this test we identify the thresholds of hearing across a wide range of frequencies. These results build a graph called an Audiogram, which helps to guide treatment recommendations and formulate a personalized treatment plan.

This is a series of tests to assess and individual’s ability to hear and understand speech. During this test, the Audiologist with determine your SRT (speech recognition threshold), your WRS (Word recognition score), your MCL (most comfortable level), and you UCL (uncomfortable level). These tests are vital in tailoring solutions to improve communication abilities.

This speech in noise test is a standardized speech perception test used to assess an individual’s ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise. This provides a more realistic assessment of an individual’s listening skills in challenging environments.

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing is an objective assessment which evaluates the health and function of the cochlea and the response of the outer hair cells. This test can be used for differential diagnosis between sensory and neural hearing loss. It also can help the Audiologist indicate whether the cochlea is functioning properly and to monitor damage with the use of ototoxic medications.

A tinnitus evaluation is a comprehensive assessment to diagnose the presence and characteristics of tinnitus. This includes pitch-matching, loudness matching, and determining the minimum masking level of the tinnitus. This information is helpful in developing an individualized management plan to alleviate the tinnitus and improve quality of life.

The tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), is a questionnaire designed to assess the impact of tinnitus on a person’s daily life and well-being. It is a valuable tool for assessing the subjective impact of tinnitus and can help the Audiologist understand the degree of distress experienced by the patient. It is also used to track changes in tinnitus severity and the effectiveness of treatment interventions over time.

APD testing is a series of tests designed to evaluate the presence and severity of auditory processing difficulties in individuals. APD is a condition that affects how the brain processes auditory information. The areas of testing include: dichotic listening, temporal processing, speech-in-noise, auditory figure ground, as well as language and cognitive assessments.

This test helps to determine the function of the eustachian tube. A malfunctioning Eustachian tube can lead to middle-ear disease and hearing loss, so it is helpful to be able to determine the patency of the Eustachian tube in patients who are susceptible to middle-ear problems.