Your hearing changes gradually over time, often in ways that are difficult to notice day-to-day. Many people adapt to small hearing losses without realizing it – turning up the TV volume, asking people to repeat themselves or struggling to follow conversations in noisy places. The hearing professionals at The Mendelson Group regularly see patients who have been living with hearing loss for years without recognizing the signs or understanding how it affects their communication and quality of life.
A hearing test provides clear answers about your hearing health and serves as the foundation for any treatment you might need. During your evaluation, you’ll discover exactly which sounds you’re missing and how this impacts your daily interactions. These detailed results allow for targeted solutions that address your specific hearing pattern rather than generic approaches that might not help.
Who Should Get a Hearing Test?
If you find yourself asking people to repeat things often, turning the TV up louder than others prefer or struggling to follow conversations in noisy places, it may be time for a hearing test. Hearing loss can happen slowly, so you might not notice it right away. Anyone who’s noticed changes in how they hear, or just wants to check their hearing health, can benefit from a test. Regular hearing checks are also important as you get older, especially if you’ve been around loud noise over the years. A test helps you catch changes early and take the right next steps.
Understanding the Testing Options
We’ll start by asking about your hearing concerns and medical history, then guide you through a series of tests in a quiet room or sound booth. These evaluations are quick and painless, and they help us learn how your ears respond to sound and how well you understand speech. The tests we opt for will depend on your needs, but may include one o these common evaluations:
- Pure-tone audiometry: You’ll wear headphones and respond to a series of tones at different volumes and pitches. This shows how softly you can hear various sounds.
- Speech testing: You’ll listen to and repeat words at different volume levels to see how clearly you understand spoken language.
- Tympanometry: This checks how well your eardrum moves, which helps us see if there might be fluid, pressure or blockage in the middle ear.
- Bone conduction testing: A small device placed behind your ear sends gentle vibrations through the bone to measure how your inner ear hears sound directly.
These tests give us a full picture of your hearing, so we can recommend the next steps that make sense for you.
Talking Ab ut Your Treatment Options
Once your hearing test is complete, we’ll go over the results with you in a way that’s easy to understand. You’ll see how your ears responded to different sounds and what that means for your daily life. If we find that you have hearing loss, we’ll talk about hearing aid products and how they can help. We’ll walk you through different styles and features so you can find something that fits your needs and comfort. Our goal is to make sure you feel confident in whatever option you choose.