Identifying Hearing Loss

Step One: The Interview

The interview process helps our practice determine the extent of your hearing impairment and aids us in uncovering any specific areas requiring further attention. Some typical questions you’ll want to prepare for are:

• Has anyone else in your family had hearing problems?
• Have you had any illnesses or injuries that might have affected your hearing?
• Have you taken any medications that might have contributed to hearing impairment?
• Have you been exposed to loud noises in your workplace or while participating in leisure activities?

Step Two: The Examination

Our hearing care providers take a close look inside your ear and figure out whether the hearing difficulty you are experiencing could be caused by an obstruction or damage to the ear canal or eardrum. We use a special instrument called an otoscope or video otoscope to inspect your outer ear.

Step Three: Hearing Tests

Next we’ll need to figure out the nature of your hearing loss. There’s a chance we will include hearing tests such as the following:

• A hearing screening to measure your hearing at four frequencies at 25 decibels each
• A speech assessment to measure how well you hear and understand ordinary conversation at different volumes
• A middle-ear evaluation to measure how your eardrum and hearing react to varying degrees of air pressure

If you are suffering from a hearing impairment, your results will be documented on an audiogram. We will help determine whether you have trouble hearing low or high pitches and what that means for you moving forward.

Step Four: Treatment Options

Treating hearing loss isn’t a simple process but we are here to help you through every step of your journey. We offer a variety of solutions.

• Hearing Aids
• Cochlear Implants
• Aural Rehabilitation