Hearing Testing in Lancaster, PA
The Steps to Better Hearing
The interview process helps our practice determine the extent of your hearing impairment and aids us in uncovering any specific areas requiring further attention. Some typical questions you’ll want to prepare for are:
- Has anyone else in your family had hearing problems?
- Have you had any illnesses or injuries that might have affected your hearing?
- Have you taken any medications that might have contributed to hearing impairment?
- Have you been exposed to loud noises in your workplace or while participating in leisure activities?
Our hearing care providers take a close look inside your ear and figure out whether the hearing difficulty you are experiencing could be caused by an obstruction or damage to the ear canal or eardrum. We use a special instrument called an otoscope or video otoscope to inspect your outer ear.
Next we’ll need to figure out the nature of your hearing loss. There’s a chance we will include hearing tests such as the following:
- A hearing screening to measure your hearing at four frequencies at 25 decibels each
- A speech assessment to measure how well you hear and understand ordinary conversation at different volumes
- A middle-ear evaluation to measure how your eardrum and hearing react to varying degrees of air pressure
If you are suffering from a hearing impairment, your results will be documented on an audiogram. An audiogram is created after you take a pure-tone hearing test, to map out the type, degree, and configuration of your hearing loss. The audiogram shows your hearing loss by frequency, as pitch and loudness of sounds change. Frequencies are measured in hertz (Hz), and the loudness or intensity is measured in decibels (dB). We will help determine whether you have trouble hearing low or high pitches and what that means for you moving forward.
Hearing Aids
We will work with you to match your lifestyle needs with the most advanced technology, specifically designed to treat your unique hearing loss. The basic components of this instrument include a microphone, an amplifier, a receiver, and a tiny processor. The exceptional effectiveness of your devices is the result of a powerful combination of professional expertise, software, and hardware.
Surgery & Implants
We now have the ability to surgically insert devices into the ear to improve hearing, facilitate lipreading, and make it easier to distinguish certain sounds. Typically, these are most helpful if you are deaf or profoundly hearing impaired and hearing aids are not a useful treatment for you. Surgical implants include:
- Cochlear implants
- Middle-ear implants
- Bone-anchored hearing aids
- Auditory Brainstem Implant
Types of Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss
Hearing Loss FAQ
Do You Need a Hearing Test?
Hearing loss is a progressive condition that worsens over time. Symptoms appear so gradually, you may be completely unaware of your loss for some time.
Knowing the signs is helpful in spurring you to take action sooner. Any of the following might indicate hearing loss:
- Do others complain the TV is too loud?
- Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy room?
- Do you have more trouble hearing women than men?
- Do you ask others to repeat themselves?
- Do you avoid going out because you’ll struggle to hear?
- Do you notice any ringing or buzzing sounds in either ear?
