The Different Types of Hearing Tests for Adults and Kids

09-13-2022

Many Americans, including children, suffer from hearing loss. More than 13% of people in the US have hearing loss issues based on standard hearing examinations. It is essential to undergo a hearing loss test since hearing loss might be a sign of another underlying condition.

Oliveira Audiology & Hearing Center is a family-staffed and operated business that highly understands the need for quality and reliable ear care. We have adequate experience of beyond 25 years, thus guaranteeing the best hearing loss tests, evaluations, and knowledgeable recommendations for your hearing needs.

Hearing Test Types

Audiologists or other medical providers perform hearing tests depending on your choice to determine whether you are suffering from hearing loss and the type of hearing loss you are suffering from. Hearing loss tests are simple, painless procedures that do not need any preparations and are not risky.

At Oliveira Audiology & Hearing Center, we perform seven main types of hearing tests. However, your audiologist might perform a few of them depending on your hearing diagnosis and age. The major hearing loss tests we serve include:

Pure Tone Testing

Audiologists use air conduction to measure adults’ and kids’ ability to hear sounds at various pitches. This test is performed in a specially designed soundproof booth where you wear headphones. The audiologist sends a series of sounds and tones to the headphones, and you respond by pressing a button or raising your hand when you hear the sounds. These tests help to identify the quietest sound you can hear at different pitches.

Bone Conduction Testing

This test measures your inner ear’s response to sound by placing a conductor behind the ear to send vibrations through the bone to the inner ear. The results are then compared with those of pure tone testing, and if they are different, your audiologist uses the information to determine the extent and type of your hearing loss.

Speech Testing

This test can be done in a quiet or noisy place to determine how kids and adults hear and understand normal speech in different environments. The audiologist has you wear headphones, speaks to you using sound volumes and background noise, and asks you to repeat the words.

Tympanometry

Tympanometry checks how well your eardrum moves in response to air pressure. This type of hearing test determines whether your ear has an infection, wax buildup, a hole in your ear drum, or whether there is fluid in the ears causing hearing loss.

Acoustic Reflex Testing

This hearing test is performed to determine the location and extent of damage caused by involuntary muscle contractions in the middle ear that leads to hearing loss among children and adults.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)

Audiologists use the ABR test to determine the sensorineural type of hearing loss among children and adults. First, you wear headphones while electrodes are attached to your head to record the brainwave activities when noise is sent to the headphones. Then, audiologists use varying sound intensities to determine the extent of the hearing loss.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs)

The cochlea in your inner ears has tiny hairs that help people hear. If they are damaged, kids and adults might lose their hearing ability. In this test, the audiologist puts a small probe with a microphone to your ear canal to emit a sound that stimulates the cochlea and measures its response. These tests determine whether there is excess fluid in the middle ear, blockage in the ear canal and whether the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged.

If you, your child, or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss, do not hesitate to visit an audiologist. Countering the hearing loss on time prevents worsening the hearing problem to unmanageable levels.

Adult and Pediatric Hearing Evaluations & Tests in Laredo, TX

At Oliveira Audiology & Hearing Center, we offer hearing tests and evaluation services for adults and kids in Laredo, Texas. We have highly trained audiologists and professionals who believe in providing personalized care for each individual resulting in the best treatment for everyone in the family. Contact us for more information or to schedule your appointment.

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