What to Expect

Your First Appointment with a Hearing Care Practitioner

If you suspect that you have a hearing loss, the first step you need to take is to visit your local Hearing Care Practitioner. The full hearing evaluation is quick, easy, and painless. Your Hearing Care Practitioner will discuss the results of your test with you and will guide you through the next steps to help you hear better.


The Hearing Exam

A full hearing evaluation typically takes less than an hour. Your Hearing Care Practitioner will do multiple tests to verify your hearing loss.

1. Your Medical History

First your Hearing Care Practitioner will discuss your health and lifestyle, including any medications you are taking and previous ear conditions.

2. Video Otoscopy

Next, your Hearing Care Practitioner will look in your ear canal with a camera, you will be able to see the inside of your ears on a TV screen!

3. Air Conduction

During this part of the test you will wear headphones and your Hearing Care Practitioner will play a series of tones, looking for the softest sound you can hear. This will show your ability to hear at different frequencies.

4. Bone Conduction

This part of the test bypasses the outer and middle ear and focuses on the cochlea’s ability to hear. Don’t worry though, the test is very easy, your Hearing Care Practitioner will place a bone oscillator head band on your mastoid and play vibrations that you will be able to hear, similar to the air conduction test.

5. Speech Testing

During the final portion of your hearing test your Hearing Care Practitioner will test your ability to hear speech with and without amplification.

6. Results

The results of your hearing evaluation are put onto an audiogram, your Hearing Care Practitioner will discuss the results with you right after the test.


If you have a hearing loss…

The hearing evaluation will give you a clear picture of whether you have hearing loss. If a hearing loss is discovered, your Hearing Care Practitioner will be able to determine if a hearing aid will help you and will help you determine which hearing aid would best suit your hearing loss and lifestyle.

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