Beltone Hearing Care Centre uses hearing tests to get the full picture of a patient’s hearing issues. Whether simple or complex, these results will be the deciding factor of a new treatment plan. None of the tests are invasive, and many can be completed in a short amount of time.
Diagnostic Audiologic Evaluation
Diagnostic evaluations detect hearing loss, dizziness or balance problems. There are several ways your hearing health can be compromised. The results from these tests are important and will be the focal point when deciding on a treatment. You’re not required to take every single hearing test, so think of the examples below as more of a sampling of what’s available.
Tympanometry: A middle ear test used to find out if there are any malfunctions or blockages in that area. Since the middle ear is behind the eardrum, the condition of the tympanic membrane becomes the highlight.
Stapedial reflexes and reflex decay: The auditory nerve sends hearing signals to the brain. It is a delicate relationship that requires a clear pathway. When there are blockages, advanced medical attention is required to restore normal functions.
Threshold equalizing noise (TEN): A TEN test evaluates the inner ear to see how well it responds to sound stimulation. Using specific pitches, this thorough test can find any dead zones in the inner ear area. For future hearing aid users, a TEN test plays a huge role in determining hearing device types.
Sentence-in-noise (SIN): Conversational speech is one of the first things to go when you have hearing issues. A SIN test will monitor your ability to recognize words and sounds in noisy environments.
Otoacoustic emissions: This test checks your inner ear for how it responds to sounds. Otoacoustic emissions testing is usually for infants and children that have issues with other hearing tests.
Industrial Hearing Screening
Certain jobs have a higher risk of noise exposure. Industrial hearing screenings were created as a way to protect employees from the noise dangers of their job. In some places, the program is mandatory for employers and serves as a great way for workers to check up on their hearing health. A screening is not meant to be a complete replacement for actual hearing tests. Instead, it determines if the test taker has degraded hearing that warrants an in-person appointment. Industrial hearing screenings are mobile and work around the schedules of the world’s most important workers.