Preparing for Your Hearing Test

If you have arranged a hearing test, then congratulations on making the first and most important step on your hearing health journey. Whether it’s just a checkup, related to other health conditions, or you’re experiencing the warning signs of hearing loss, it’s the most effective way to getting to the bottom of your hearing health. Your audiologist will help you run through the test, but here are a few ways you can prepare in advance.

Seek out the quiet

Hearing tests often involve a comprehensive range of exams that measure the specifics of your hearing, including tests that measure what tones and pitches you can hear, as well as how well you can comprehend and repeat phrases. Exposure to loud noises can decrease your hearing in the short-term, so try to find some quiet time for up to 16 hours before you seek out your test. Otherwise, short-term hearing issues could lead to misinterpreted test results.

Wax off

Earwax buildups are common and are sometimes the reason that you might seek a hearing test, to begin with, when they’re confused with hearing loss. What’s more, they can interrupt a hearing test as they often interfere with obtaining accurate results. Most earwax can be broken down and directed in the shower, but there are drops you can purchase from any chemist to help with more stubborn buildups. If it’s more serious, your doctor can help syringe them for you. Your audiologist will check for wax buildups and can treat them, but if you don’t want your hearing test interrupted, you can do it yourself in advance.

Got the sniffles?

Your hearing is just as much about the eardrums and inner ear canals, which need to be clear if you want to have accurate results. For that reason, illnesses that cause a buildup of mucus in the middle ear, such as the flu and colds, can impact hearing tests. In particular, they can reduce the expected vibration of the eardrum and cause short-term hearing difficulties. If you have the flu or the cold, it’s best to call up and reschedule your hearing test.

Find the answers

Before any of the actual tests begin, you are going to be asked a series of questions on a form and directly by your audiologist. Providing accurate, detailed information is the best way to help provide a direction for them to be tested in. For that reason, do a little fact-finding of your own before the appointment. Make sure you have your medical history and hearing health history at the ready. Know the specific reasons you’re getting a hearing test, as well as any symptoms you’re suffering. Further information such as family history of hearing difficulties and environmental risks such as loud work environments will help, as well.

By following the above suggestions, you can guarantee a more thorough hearing test with fewer risks of interruption. Providing all is well, you can expect a smooth visual inspection as well as a range of more in-depth tests, helping you find out the truth of your hearing health.