Hearing Test Specialist

Hearing Test services offered in The Loop, Chicago, IL

Being unable to hear what people are saying is isolating and frustrating. If you’re suffering from hearing loss, Michigan Avenue Primary Care in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois, offers hearing tests with highly skilled audiologists. They can determine the cause of your hearing loss and recommend the best way to improve your hearing. Call Michigan Avenue Hearing Health today or book an appointment online to schedule a hearing test and find a solution to your hearing problems.

Hearing Test Q & A

What is a hearing test?

A hearing test is a complete evaluation of how well you hear. After your hearing test, you’ll know if you have hearing problems.

Your audiologist (hearing specialist) will tell you what kind of hearing loss you have, its cause, and how severe it is. They also advise you on how to improve your hearing.

Maintaining good hearing is vital for communicating with family, friends, and co-workers. Unfortunately, people often lose their hearing as they age or from exposure to loud noise. Ignoring your hearing problem affects your health and well-being and reduces your quality of life.

When should I book a hearing test?

Primary care doctors and schools provide hearing screenings, a quick test that you pass or fail. If you fail, you should schedule a hearing test at Michigan Avenue Hearing Health.

Infants and preschool-age children get regular hearing screenings at their well-child visits or early childhood programs. Once they start school, children usually get screenings every two years.

An adult with normal hearing should have a hearing test after they reach 21 to check for problems. Following this test, you should have another every 10 years until you get to age 50, then once every three years.

You should also schedule a hearing test any time you or a member of your family has problems hearing.

What happens during a hearing test?

Before they test your hearing, your audiologist reviews your medical history and asks you about your current hearing difficulties. Next is a visual ear exam, followed by a hearing test.

During your ear exam, your audiologist examines your outer ear, eardrum, ear canal, and middle ear using an otoscope. The audiologist looks for problems like impacted earwax, infections, or a damaged eardrum.

Hearing tests that your audiologist can perform include:

Pure tone audiometry
Speech audiometry
Tympanometry
Auditory function tests
Bone conduction test
Auditory brainstem response
Otoacoustic emissions
Electrocochleography
Bone conduction test
Central auditory processing evaluation

You might not need all these tests; your audiologist will select those you require based on your first few test results.

What happens after my hearing test?

After your hearing test, your audiologist offers recommendations on the next steps. You might need treatment for a problem like an infection or earwax blockage. If your hearing loss isn’t reversible, you can improve it with one of the advanced hearing aids that Michigan Avenue Hearing Health supplies.

Call Michigan Avenue Hearing Health or Michigan Avenue Primary Care to learn more about hearing tests or schedule your test online today.