What to Expect from a Hearing Test Austin

Some medical procedures are ubiquitous in pop culture. Everyone knows the eye test with the different-sized letters on the poster, and we’ve all seen the knee reflex test with the little hammer. But if you were given a pencil and paper and asked to draw what a hearing test looks like, could you do it?

Hearing Test Austin

You might draw a doctor using a little light to peer into the patient’s ear canal, but for a lot of people, that would be the extent of their knowledge. Despite how quick, easy, and free it is, a lot of people neglect this important procedure.

In Ehima’s 2018 Eurotrak survey – conducted on over 11,000 people with hearing loss – it was found that 48% had never taken a Hearing Test Austin. Furthermore, an additional 18% had not had a hearing test in the past five years.

This means that just 34% of hearing-impaired people have taken appropriate action towards addressing their hearing loss. This is far less than the rate that people go to the dentist or to an eye doctor, so it’s not surprising that people may not be fully aware of hearing test procedures.

What happens during a hearing test?

So what happens when you step inside that room? Does the doctor layout their rusty tools like an evil scientist, muttering, and cackling about her upcoming experiment?

We haven’t seen every hearing specialist at work, but we’d be confident betting against that scenario. For an average patient, the course of events of a Hearing Test Austin Tx will be pretty similar to any other doctor’s appointment (thankfully without the shots.)

After showing up to your appointment, your hearing healthcare professional will ask you a few questions about any concerns you have or problems you’ve noticed. After all, no one knows what you’re going through but you.

The test will then take place, comprising a few of the various procedures listed and described below. Afterward, you’ll have a discussion with your specialist about your options, and whether or not you need a hearing aid. If you do, you may discuss your options and be fitted for a hearing aid there and then, or be prompted to book a follow-up appointment.

How long does a hearing test take?

Not long at all! Most individual examinations only take a few minutes, with the longest kind of examination – speech testing – only happening over the course of about 15 minutes. Most hearing tests involve multiple kinds of examinations, however, and this can add up to around half an hour of testing.

Couple this with the conversations you’ll be having with your hearing specialist and an average appointment shouldn’t run over an hour at most.

How often should I have a hearing test?

If you've been wondering about ideal hearing test frequency, then this section has your answers. You may never have had a hearing test before. If this is the case, you might be surprised to hear that once you’re over the age of 50, your ears should go the way of your eyes and teeth and receive attention at least once every three years.

Data shows that 60% of hearing tests are attended by a patient over age 65. 56-65-year-old patients follow up with 21% of appointments, with 46-55-year-old patients occupying 12%. Finally, under-45's take the remaining 7% of appointments.

Even if you’re under 50, however, if you’ve never had a hearing test, then it’s strongly recommended that you have at least one. That way, you can record your baseline hearing ability and use it for comparison as you age.

For example, if you went to a hearing test at age 55 without having had one prior, the specialist giving the test would have no reference point by which to see if your hearing ability has degraded. This is why you need to have at least one Hearing Test Austin Tx every ten years or so while you’re under 50, and then once every three years or so once you reach your 50th.