Hearing Evaluation
When was your last hearing evaluation? Too often patients come into the Yost Hearing Clinic with long-standing hearing problems. Many patients indicate that they have never had a hearing test or that their last hearing test was 10+ years ago! Most people all routinely have their eyes checked, teeth cleaned, and see their primary care doctor. Hearing testing needs to be included in this list of healthy routines. Early identification of hearing loss can help alleviate years of aggravation from not hearing conversations and can help keep your brain healthy. Hearing testing is a key component to your hearing health! A hearing test is a non-invasive examination. Your community hearing health team at Yost Hearing goes above & beyond a basic hearing test with The Yost Hearing Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation.
Call 304-599-6762 to schedule your Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation today!
The Yost Hearing Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation
Step 1: Case History
During this step, your audiologist, Dr. Andi, will ask you questions about your hearing health.
Examples include:
How long have you been experiencing hearing loss?
How is your hearing in background noise?
What are your communication goals?
Have you noticed any Tinnitus (ringing in your ears)?
This step will help to provide clues to recognize what is causing your hearing problems. Additionally, this is an important step in determining how your hearing is affecting your overall quality of life. Dr. Andi will help identify where you are experiencing communication difficulties. The information learned during this step will help Dr. Andi formulate your personalized hearing treatment plan. This is also a great time to bring up any concerns about your hearing that you may be having.
Step 2: Otoscopy
This is a significant step in determining the cause of your hearing problems. During otoscopy, Dr. Andi will examine your outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum with magnified light. This will allow Dr. Andi to see if an ear cleaning will be necessary in case of ear wax or another foreign object blocking your eardrum. Otoscopy can be done with a handheld instrument or with a computer-based video otoscope.
Step 3: Tympanometry
Tympanometry testing may be directed if you are experiencing any complaints of fullness or pressure in your ears or if your eardrum looks abnormal. This diagnostic test involves placing a tiny probe tip in your ear canal. You will feel a little pressure in your ears, almost like you are going up a mountain. This test will measure how your eardrum is moving. Dr. Andi will be able to interpret the health of your middle ear from this test. This test is also helpful in determining the cause of your hearing loss.
Step 4: Pure Tone Testing
This is probably the step you think about when you hear the words “hearing test”. Pure tone testing is done in the sound treated booth. During this test, Dr. Andi will use headphones or insert earphones to play beeps. Specific frequencies will be tested which will be plotted on a graph to become your audiogram. The first portion of pure tone testing will test your entire auditory system. This will give Dr. Andi the degree and configuration (or shape) of your hearing loss. The second part of pure tone testing is completed by putting a bone conductor headband behind your ear. This will test your hearing by bone conduction. This part of the test will allow Dr. Andi to determine what type of hearing loss you may have.
Step 5: Speech Testing
Speech testing is an important part of your comprehensive hearing evaluation. This test will allow Dr. Andi to verify pure tone results. Speech recognition testing will show how softly you can recognize words. Speech discrimination testing will give Dr. Andi a percentage score for speech understanding. Speech discrimination scores provide insight into how well your brain is processing the words you hear. These tests are helpful in counseling, treatment selection, and realistic expectations with hearing aids.
Step 6: Result Review
Once you have completed the prior steps of the comprehensive hearing evaluation, Dr. Andi will review the results with you. Dr. Andi will explain how to read the audiogram and what the results mean. Together with Dr. Andi, you will be able to develop a hearing treatment plan. Dr. Andi will discuss the different Hearing Aids from the Hearing Aid Center with you. She will also be able to make recommendations on Hearing Loss Prevention and repeat testing. Any necessary referrals will be made based on the results of the comprehensive hearing evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a hearing test hurt?
Not at all! A hearing test is a painless non-invasive process.
How long does The Yost Hearing Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation take?
The evaluation takes about 1 hour.
How much does The Yost Hearing Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation cost?
The evaluation costs between $60 - $100 depending on the tests that need to be completed. Yost Hearing works with many insurance companies and is happy to provide complete insurance verification & processing.
How often do I need a hearing test?
For patients with hearing loss, an annual hearing screening after the initial diagnosis of hearing loss is recommended. For patients with normal hearing, it is recommended once a decade until age 50 and then every three years after 50. It is important to note that anytime you notice a change in hearing, a hearing test should be completed.
Should I bring someone with me for my appointment?
Yes! It is HIGHLY recommended to bring a friend or family member. It is helpful to have a companion and extra set of ears.
Start The Journey To Better Hearing Today
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Daily Walk-In Clinic
Your convenient, in-person, no-appointment-needed hearing health care experience.
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Flexible Appointment Hours
Your in-person hearing health care experience with a dedicated appointment time slot with your audiologist.
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Daily Drive-Thru Services
Your convenient, in-person, hearing health care experience without leaving the comforts of your vehicle.
Supplemental Resources
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COMING SOON!
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Yost Hearing will strive to exceed patient expectations and always maintain the highest level of integrity with a personalized approach to your hearing health.
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Clean ears work better! Excessive Ear wax contributes to hearing loss & tinnitus.