What to Expect During a Hearing Test

March 6, 2018

Thinking of getting your hearing checked? Good for you, we highly advise you to do so! Whether you’re experiencing symptoms of hearing loss or not, being proactive helps ensure the overall wellness of your hearing health. Knowing what to expect during a hearing test can help lessen your worries and encourage you to become more comfortable going to your hearing care centre.

Backtracking of History

In order to assess your condition easier and more accurately, you will have to let your consultant know about your overall hearing, medical histories, and concerns. In one of our articles, we discussed how it can be beneficial to prepare a note, so it’s easier to remember every detail that needs to be disclosed to make your visit worthwhile.

Read this full article to know everything you need to prepare before your hearing test.

Ear Inspection

In the next part of your hearing evaluation, your hearing care professional will look into your ears using an otoscope. This is a medical device that health care providers use to peek into a person’s ears. Using an otoscope allows the consultant to view the ear canal and eardrums, which can possibly give an indication of the causes of hearing loss. Also, it is important to check any wax buildup as it can hinder precise measurement of hearing. That gives us another reason why this step is important.

Hearing Tests

Your hearing will be tested in a variety of ways. This will enable your consultant to narrow down all the possible causes and come up with an accurate diagnosis and solution later on. Also, take note that procedures may vary depending on your issues, concerns, and the hearing centre itself. But to give you an idea, here are the common tests carried out during hearing evaluations.

Pure-tone audiometry: During this test, your hearing care professional will ask you to wear an earphone, wherein beeps of different pitches and frequencies will be played. This test will determine the softest sound you can hear by responding to the beeps either by raising your hand or pressing a designated button.
Speech audiometry: This is a bit similar to pure-tone test. While the previous test exposes you to sounds, this one involves actual words. This test is carried out with the use of earphones too. The consultant will determine how well you are able to recognise speech by asking you to repeat words in different environment setups—with and without background noise.

Result Discussion

After the tests, your hearing care professional will discuss with you the results, which is presented through an audiogram. This is a graphic record that indicates the softest sounds you are able to hear at different pitches and frequencies, and therefore allows the hearing professional to identify the degree of your hearing loss.

Your consultant will be able to tell whether you will be needing further consultations or reevaluations. He or she will also suggest if the use of a hearing device is necessary.

As you can see, hearing evaluation is painless, non-invasive, and lasts at around 1-2 hours only, so a trip to your friendly hearing care centre shouldn’t be scary at all. If so, it should be something you look forward to because the moment you get out of the hearing care clinic is the start of better, more comfortable lifestyle for you.

At all our Listening Lab branches, we offer state-of-the art facilities for our full spectrum of hearing care services. If you suspect a decrease in your hearing ability, don’t hesitate to ask help from one of our hearing care professionals. To book a hearing test appointment in Singapore and Malaysia, call +65 6817 5100 and +603 7725 9334 respectively!

About The Listening Lab

Listening Lab is a home-grown company whose mission is to help our clients restore their hearing to enjoy the life that they desire. Experiencing hearing loss can be detrimental to one’s quality of life. Hence we commit to providing high-quality hearing solutions.

Our hearing solutions include hearing tests and treatment and prescribing hearing aids. Clients may come to get their hearing checked, and we will assess whether hearing aids are required.

If hearing aids are required, clients can choose from a variety of the best hearing aid brands we provide. Each of the products offers unique features that complement daily use and perform well in helping our clients enjoy the life that they desire.

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What Do Our Customers Say?

Person in charge nice and helpful with warm smiling face. Should you have hearing problem, can seek for her advise.

Catherine Tang Yap

Your service is marvellous! Patient and friendly. Mr Ching has been a customer of The Listening Lab since 2018. We have been attending to him for his follow up reviews and we are glad to see his progress!

Mr Ching

My husband purchased a Siemens Pure 7PX in 2016. We wish to appreciate Listening Lab for their ongoing attention and professional help they have been providing to us.

Mr & Mrs Sriram

My mum has hearing loss for many years. Consultant of Listening Lab helped her fitted with Resound hearing aid. His patience and professionalism was greatly appreciated as the hearing aid enable her to hear and communicate with the people around her especially her grand children. We are happy with the services rendered by consultant. Keep up the good work!!

Madam Low

The Voice of two Generations in Singapore radio, Mr Brian Richmond, has chosen The Listening Lab to be his audiology and hearing services provider. We could not be prouder!

Brian is the definitive household name in English Radio since the early years of Singapore's founding, starting with Rediffusion followed by Radio One and now with Gold 90.5FM as well as Vintage Radio Singapore. His honeyed voice and selection of music filling our ears as we lived the bustle of our daily lives.

Soccer fans from the Malaysia Cup era of soccer will never forget his heart-pounding commentary from "live" matches, as we experienced the ups and downs of the Singapore Lions in the 1970s to 90s.

Our Executive Director Kelvin Lee is proudly beaming ear-to-ear in this photo with Brian. But you wont be able to see it through the masks!

Brian Richmond

I started experiencing loss of hearing sometimes in 2010 (41 years old) owing to some medical issue. I was having difficulties hearing conservation especially in meeting. Thus, giving me the fear in attending meeting.

Initially I started with Phonak hearing aid. It helps amplified the sound and I could hear better then. Somehow, my hearing loss deteriorated further that in late 2012 (43 years old), there was profound loss of hearing on my right ear. Even digital hearing aid could not help. On my left ear there is still about 50% to 60% hearing with hearing aid. I was lost at this point of time. I was considering learning sign language. I went to see my ENT specialist and my audiologist Mr. Bala advised me to go for an CI as an alternative to my hearing loss.

I also thank God for Engineer and Scientist, giving them the knowledge to create such a complex and sophisticate device to help those with hearing loss like me. It will be all perfect if the cost is affordable too.

Jonathan Po

I took my mum to Listening Lab at Simei to get her hearing aid fixed, during our first visit, she patiently explained the whole procedure to my mum and also explain to my mum why she really in need to fix the hearing aid. She is very knowledgeable, and friendly, and we are encouraged to ask questions. she is also very patient with old people which is the most importance. Also her after service is superb so I highly recommend.

Mdm Goh

My mum, Madam Kek (73 year old) had the Cochlear implant (CI) done on her left side in 10th September 2019. Thereafter, thanks to the subsequent auditory verbal therapy, evaluation from SGH ENT team, as well as, the support from AB's and Listening Lab staffs; Madam Kek was able to hear, comprehend sound and music from her Cochlear implant, Naida CI Q90, and hearing aid (HA), Naida Link UP, for her right side before end year. We are happy that both the CI and HA have improved mum qualify of life. Now Madam Kek is looking forward to work again to pass her time as she can hear and better communicate with others.

Madam Kek

Titus was implanted when he was 18 months old. He is a happy, talkative 6.5 years old now. AB has been with him for 5 wonderful hearing years and we are looking forward to a bright future that lies ahead for him. AB’s Naída CI sound processors are reliable and the technology is constantly evolving and upgrading. When Titus was introduced to Naida Link CROS, his life was enriched. The wireless network established between his Naida CI sound processor and a Naida Link CROS transmitter allows him to hear from both ears. This changes Titus’s life and the way we interact with him. We are also very pleased with the prompt response and service provided to us. The staff in AB genuinely cares! We want to thank AB for making Titus’s hearing journey an enjoyable and a relatively stress free one!

Titus Pang

I have been living with progressive hearing loss for more than three decades. Socially, I find myself fearful of communicating with people and at home, watching 'soundless' television programs is a norm.

An unforgettable experience. Trying on a pair of Resound GN hearing aid, I was energized and revitalized and overwhelmed with emotional tears of joy. The Resound GN is truly remarkable and uniquely equipped with three-friendly-user environmental modes that provide hearing comfort wherever we are.

In particular, I like to extend my utmost gratitude to Hearing Consultant. With her profound compassion and wisdom in guiding me, I am confident that I can forge a formidable partnership with the Listening Lab; So that I can rebuild a new chapter of a happy and value-creative life and simultaneously, leaving behind the painful memories of the past three decades.

Mr Tan