Factors That Can Affect Hearing Test Results

If you or a loved one are ready to address your hearing issues head on, it’s important to know what to expect during the testing process and what kinds of things can affect a hearing exam.

If you’ve never had a hearing test before, then you may not be prepared for what this type of diagnostic evaluation entails. With that being said, it’s beneficial to be clued in so that you can come out of that assessment with as much clarity as possible on your hearing diagnosis. 

After all, you want to receive the best care and treatment that’s relevant to your needs. In this guide, we’ll highlight the common signs of hearing loss and what you can expect from a hearing test appointment in general. You’ll also understand what factors can affect hearing test results and how to avoid these for your audiologist appointment.

Signs of Hearing Loss to Consider

If you’re not quite sure whether you are experiencing hearing loss or you’re a loved one that suspects a hearing loss problem, then here are some subtle and more obvious signs:

• Asking people to repeat themselves.
• Lip-reading other people when they’re talking.
• Withdrawing from social occasions in noisy environments. 
• Difficulty hearing the phone or doorbell.
• Turning up the television too loud.
• Muffled speech or sounds.
• Pain and/or ringing in the ear(s).

What Can You Expect from a Hearing Test Appointment?

When you first attend your hearing test appointment, you’ll meet an audiologist or hearing specialist. They’re trained and skilled with all of the experience to correctly assess and diagnose a potential hearing problem. They’re also qualified to fit you with a hearing aid or aids depending on your situation. 

They may ask you a number of questions and when it comes to the tests themselves, this may involve any of the following.

A physical ear examination

The audiologist will typically start with a physical examination of the ears. They will look at your out eater and ear canal to assess any physical problems that they can see.

Speech testing

For those who may have trouble with understanding speech, a speech test is conducted to help ensure the person is hearing words correctly and repeating them as requested. These words are played at normal speech levels without background noise.

Audiometry

An audiometry test is where the audiologist will use different sounds to check how well you can hear. This tests the sensitivity of your hearing at different frequencies. You’ll push a button once you hear the sound.

Acoustic reflexes

This test will look at how well your eardrum protects your hearing from loud noises. The eardrum should stiffen upon hearing loud noises and this test looks at how well that muscle functions.

Tympanometry

This test checks the function of your eardrum and applies pressure to your ear to see how well it performs.

What can affect hearing test results?

What would impact your hearing test results or the validity of the results themselves? Well, firstly, if you’re not truthful with what you can hear, then this could hinder your results and that will only impact your experience of a hearing test negatively. With inaccurate results, you may be dismissed for certain devices, so it’s important to be truthful. 

Here are a few other reasons why your hearing test results may be impacted:

• Buildup of wax in the ears impacts the ability to hear sounds.
• Illnesses or ear infections.
• Children who fuss and cry could alter the results or lack thereof.
• The hearing loss may have been temporary.

It’s important that you’re properly assessed regularly for hearing loss and that if a hearing test comes back with inaccurate results, you’re tested at a later date. This may be useful because trying to redo the test on the same day, may record the same results, which isn’t helpful for anyone.

However, if your hearing test result has been impacted, this isn’t something that should put you off from attending one. Hearing tests with audiologists are valuable for those who have suspicions that they may have hearing loss or that their loved one has. 

If you’re looking to get more information on hearing tests and understanding the results of a hearing test, then it’s worth getting in touch with Audiology & Hearing Aid Solutions. They provide all their patients with a thorough assessment and evaluation of their hearing, to ensure they have the resolution to offer. Learn more by contacting them today at either (973) 721-6520 or (201) 375-9081.