Being proactive with your hearing health is a great help to your general well-being. With all medical appointments, it’s helpful to know what will happen before you arrive for your appointment. Procedures vary from one professional office to another, but here’s a general idea of what you might expect during your first hearing appointment.

Filling Out Paperwork

Just like with any other medical appointment, you’ll be asked to fill out a series of forms before we perform any tests or procedures. Some of the more common information questions might cover:

  • Insurance information
  • Your medical history
  • A list of any medications you’re currently taking
  • Hearing- and ear-related symptoms you’re experiencing
  • Any questions or concerns you might have

Following an initial interview about any concerns you may have about your hearing, the first thing you might expect during a hearing examination is a physical look into your ears. The healthcare professional will use a handheld instrument called an otoscope to look at the interior of your ear canal. They will be looking for any abnormalities or signs of conditions that may be contributing to your hearing problems, as well as for a buildup of earwax, which can prevent us from accurately measuring your hearing ability.

A Hearing Test

Testing procedures vary from one facility to another, but most include a pressure test, which tests the flexibility of the eardrum, a tone test to measure your ability to hear soft levels of different tone pitches, and speech tests, which ask you to repeat words or sentences you hear under different conditions such as speech in quiet, and in the presence of competing noise.

Consultation

The hearing professional will consult with you to discuss your testing results and to talk about the next steps you should take. Recommendations may include:

  • …a visit to an ear, nose & throat specialist or your primary care physician.
  • …depending on your hearing ability, a recommendation for retesting in a few months
  • …or that you begin the process of being fitted for hearing aids or other devices. This may happen right away, or you may need to make another appointment to work with a specialist to fit these devices.

Preventative medicine is the best kind, and it’s important to keep up with your hearing health just like the rest of your body. It’s important to get your hearing checked at least once a year. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.