Hearing loss has a lot of different causes and manifestations.
- It can be gradual or sudden.
- It can occur in one ear or both ears.
- It can be temporary or permanent.
- It can happen to people of all ages.
A hearing test is comprised of multiple parts in order to assess each part of the ear individually and together in order to determine where the breakdown in hearing occurs. When having your hearing tested, you will undergo:
- Otoscopy: A visual inspection of the outer ear and eardrum
- Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex Testing: An assessment of the mobility and health of your eardrum and ossicles (middle ear bones)
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs): A measurement of the mobility and health of the hair cells located in your inner ear
- Pure Tone Thresholds: An assessment of the softest sounds that your inner ear has the ability to hear
- Speech Testing: A test which determines what your brain is hearing and understanding, given the health of your outer, middle and inner ears