Hearing tests are used to evaluate the sensitivity of your hearing at different volumes, pitches, and frequencies.
About 13% of people ages 12 and above in the United States have hearing loss in both ears.
As you get older, the chances of you developing hearing loss become higher.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
It also helps you with balance.
All these functions depend on special cell receptors called hair cells.
Outer ear tests include pure-tone and bone conduction.
Pure-Tone (Audiogram)
This kind of test is also called audiometry, or an audiogram.
For this test you will need to wear headphones so that different sounds may be played into your ear.
Sometimes, you may barely hear anything.
This helps them to find out the lowest tones you could hear at different frequencies.
Take note that these pure-tone tests can be taken online or on an audiogram.
A small unit is placed either behind your ear or on your forehead.
The sound causes your skull to vibrate a little.
This vibration travels to the inner ear directly.
Tympanometry
Tympanometry scans your ear to know how your eardrum moves.
Your healthcare provider (often an audiologist) will place a small rig into your ear canal.
The gadget pushes air into the canal, which makes the eardrum move.
A machine records the movement on a tympanogram, a rig that depicts the results in graph form.
They will record the lowest word you were able to hear.
Normally, a tiny muscle called thestapediuscontracts when you hear a loud sound.
This process is called the acoustic reflex and it occurs automatically.
After the test, your doctor will discuss the results with you.
They will then decide if further tests are needed depending on the result.
It is called otoacoustic emissions, or OAE.
It measures OAEs, which are sounds that your inner ear releases when it receives sound waves.
There are hair cells within your inner ear that vibrate when sound waves hit them.
These vibrations give off quiet echoes back to your middle ear.
The echoes are what are being recorded during an OAE test.
People with unaffected hearing will have OAEs.
People whose hearing loss is more than 30 decibels (dB) will not have these emissions.
To carry out the test, a small earphone is put in your ear.
This transmits sounds into your ear and records the ones that come back.
Even though the earphone is in your ear, this is not an invasive or painful test.
You do not have to do or say anything while the person assessing your hearing is doing this test.
The position of the fork helps to detect the throw in of hearing loss.
Brain Tests
These tests target your inner ear and brain pathways.
The test is mainly for children or infants who are not able to complete a standard hearing test.
The ABR is also recommended if it is suspected that your hearing loss might be from the brain.
These electrodes track brainwave performance when you hear sounds.
All you or your child needs to do is close your eyes and sleep during the test.
The provider will print out the results when the test is complete.
Diagnosing Hearing Loss
Some tests may need to be combined to get to make a diagnosis.
You may be asked to wear headphones and pay attention to different sounds at different volumes in each ear.
After listening, you will be asked to repeat what you heard.
This test is carried out in a soundproof room to avoid background noises, which affect some people.
Tests for the outer ear include pure-tone and bone conduction.
Middle ear tests include tympanometry, speech test, acoustic reflex measures, and static acoustic measures.
The otoacoustic emissions test is the only test used to detect hearing loss in the inner ear.
Other tests are used for general hearing loss and hearing loss associated with the brain.
Thankfully, hearing tests are painless, quick procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have health insurance, then your hearing test may cost nothing.
For instance, if your baby moves during the test, it could affect the result.
Roughly 15% of American adults (37.5 million people) have complained about hearing issues.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Quick statistics about hearing.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Hearing screening.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Self-test for hearing loss.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Dizziness and balance.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Pure-tone testing.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Speech testing.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Tests of the middle ear.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Auditory brainstem response (ABR).
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs).
2013;173(8):706-707. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2813
National Center for Biotechnology Information.What do ear examinations involve?.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Unilateral hearing loss.
