Comprehensive Hearing Assessments
A dripping faucet wastes a gallon of water every day. Although you don’t notice it, over time it is costly.
Hearing loss is similar. You don’t notice the day-to-day changes until you begin to struggle to hear a conversation in a noisy restaurant or you have to turn up the volume on the TV to hear the dialogue.
The slow progress of hearing loss is among the reasons why 68% of people with a measurable hearing loss wait close to seven years before taking action to treat their hearing.
Unfortunately, during that time, you’re putting yourself at risk of developing negative mental and physical health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, balance disorders, cognitive decline, and more.
Rather than allow your hearing, your health, and your relationships to slowly deteriorate, learn the truth about your hearing with a comprehensive hearing evaluation by a professional audiologist.
Is there a place to get a hearing
evaluation near me?
There is, and it’s right here in Magnolia. Our expert hearing assessments at Magnolia Hearing are quick, painless, provide immediate results, and lead to personalized hearing solutions.
Understanding Hearing Loss
“Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear,” according to the WHO. “The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.”
The common signs or symptoms of hearing loss usually include:
Noisy Environments
Struggling to understand what people are saying and/or misunderstanding what they say, especially in environments with background noise
Missing Conversation
Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
TV Blasting
Listening to music or watching TV at a volume that irritates the people around you
Phone Frustration
Difficulty understanding what people are saying on the phone
Keeping Up
Lagging behind or struggling to keep up with a conversation
Losing Focus
Fatigue and stress from having to concentrate while listening to conversation
Common Causes of Hearing Loss
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The precise hearing evaluations we provide at Magnolia Hearing will identify the type and severity of your hearing loss, allowing you to experience the relief of personalized hearing solutions.
F.A.Qs
Frequently Asked Questions about Hearing Tests
What is a hearing test and why do I need one?
How long does a typical hearing evaluation take?
Are your audiologists certified and experienced?
What can I expect during a comprehensive hearing assessment?
Will the results of the hearing test be explained to me?
What happens if the hearing test shows I have a hearing loss?
If your hearing test shows that you have a hearing loss, then your audiologist will discuss the various options you have available, such as medications or medication changes, surgical procedures to remove obstructions, hearing aids, and other electronic hearing devices.
Do you provide recommendations for hearing aids if needed?
Is the clinic equipped with advanced hearing diagnostic technology?
What to Expect
A Conversation about You
Your audiologist will start your consultation with a conversation about you. You will be asked questions related to your hearing and overall health as well as medications you are taking, past surgeries, and your family history of hearing loss. You will be asked questions related to your lifestyle, occupation, and recreational activities to evaluate your risk of exposure to loud noise and to help us understand how active you are.
Physical Examination of Your Ears
Believe it or not, many people who suspect that they are losing their hearing find out that they are experiencing wax buildup or their ear canal is blocked by some foreign object. Your audiologist will use an otoscope (a magnifying glass with a tapered end and light at the tip) to conduct a physical examination of your ears, looking for any abnormalities such as growths, inflammation, and impacted earwax that might be obstructing the ear canal.
Audiometric Testing
Cutting-edge hearing diagnostics involves the use of audiometric testing to accurately diagnose your type and level of hearing loss. Any of the following tests may be included:
- Pure Tone Audiometry. You will be fitted with headphones and asked to respond to tones transmitted through the headphones at varying frequencies and volume levels.
- Speech Audiometry. Similar to the pure tone audiometry but using spoken words. It will measure levels of speech reception and sentence-in-noise (SIN) testing to evaluate your ability to understand conversational speech.
- Bone Conduction Audiometry. A device is placed behind the ear in order to transmit tones directly into the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear.
- Tympanometry. Using an instrument that looks similar to an otoscope, your audiologist will test pressure on the eardrum to evaluate the condition of middle ear components and detect fluid in the middle ear.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE). Not as common as the other four tests, OAE testing measures the response of the hair cells in the inner ear, helping to determine the severity of your hearing loss.
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). This type of testing is most often used to test the hearing of infants and young children, but it can also be used to test individuals suspected to be experiencing auditory processing disorder (APD).
Discussion of Results and Options
The tests your audiologist uses will be plotted on a graph called an audiogram. Your audiogram shows your hearing thresholds at different frequencies, providing a specific measurement of the severity of hearing loss you are experiencing.
Your audiologist will explain what the results mean and provide hearing aid recommendations, if necessary during this discussion. However, if your hearing tests normal, or you have a mild impairment, your audiologist will discuss lifestyle changes, hearing protection, and other preventative measures to avoid further damage or deterioration of your hearing.
Schedule Your Hearing Assessment
Because the changes come on at such a slow pace, recognizing that you are experiencing hearing challenges can be difficult. Precise hearing evaluations are the best way to learn the truth about your hearing.
Magnolia Hearing is among the leading audiologist clinics in the Magnolia and Seattle areas. Our local hearing care services provide an accurate evaluation of your hearing and the most advanced technology solutions to help overcome your hearing challenges.
Submit the adjacent form to learn the truth about your hearing, and a member of our team will contact you to help schedule an appointment.
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