Our facility offers the latest in high quality comprehensive assessments. Our technology is routinely calibrated to ensure it is functioning with 100% accuracy.

The hearing test begins with a thorough case history with our specialist to assess any possible flags that may be present. The history also includes a lifestyle analysis to determine any difficulties that are experienced and to have a good understanding of what needs the patient has.

Once the case history is complete we perform Otoscopy which is a visual look at the Pinna, the ear canal and also the ear drum. When we do this we are looking for lesions, wax, foreign objects and any potential pathology which may be presenting itself. Any wax, debris or foreign objects would be removed at this point. Once the canal has been observed to be clear we move into Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex testing. This is done with a probe which seals off the ear canal and feels like driving through hills. The pressure changes which occur in this step provide an overall indication of the level of ear health. We hope to verify that the ear drum is moving correctly and that the bones and tendons in the middle ear are functioning as they should. Any undesirable results here could potentially indicate a conductive hearing loss.

The next stage is the actual hearing test itself. The patient is moved into a sound restrictive booth (wheelchair accessible) which limits any extraneous noise. The patient is then handed a button to press when they hear various beeping sounds. The results of those beeps tell the specialist the softest levels that the patient can hear across a wide range of frequencies. Next is one of the most important parts, speech testing. For most people, any problem they may experience is significantly weighted towards limitations with speech comprehension. Performing a hearing test without testing their ability to understand speech in each ear individually as well as both ears together would not provide an accurate depiction of the difficulties that they are experiencing. Another important part of the test is the limit at which sounds become too loud to be comfortable. This is important to discover abnormal tolerances and also provides important information for hearing aid settings.

Once we’re finished in the sound booth we go through the results. Everything is translated into English so the patient (and present family members) can understand what is actually happening with the hearing. If there is anything abnormal which is requiring intervention we then go through the pros and cons of each option so the patient can make an educated decision on their own treatment.