Your auditory system consists of many complex parts that function together successfully so that you can hear normally. When any one component of the system isn’t functioning normally, you may experience loss of hearing. To accurately describe the hearing loss, we must determine the following: type of hearing loss, the degree of hearing loss, and the configuration of hearing loss. We will determine these three factors by performing a diagnostic hearing evaluation.

For accuracy, we conduct hearing tests in sound-treated audiological booth using special earphones and equipment that has been calibrated to national standards. The hearing evaluation begins with a thorough discussion about your symptoms, medical history, and any other concerns you may have. Depending on your hearing loss symptoms and case history, your audiologist will perform several different tests, which may include the following:

• Otoscopy: Otoscopic examination to evaluate the status of your outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum
• Complete Diagnostic Audiological Evaluation (CAE): this determines hearing sensitivity i.e. the measurement of the degree and type of hearing loss. e.g. . Mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss, conductive, sensory neural and mixed hearing loss. And also includes word recognition testing to assess your ability to understand speech when the volume of the speech signal is adequate for your level of hearing.
• Otoacoustic Emission Evaluation (OAE): This procedure evaluates the sound generated by energy produced by the outer hair cells in the cochlea and detected with a microphone placed within the external ear canal. It is used to determine cochlear status.
• Tympanometry: This test analyzes the middle ear function. i.e. a clinical procedure that involves measurement of acoustic in the tympanic membrane.
• Following the testing, the audiologist will explain the results to you and answer any questions you may have.