Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation
What Is a Hearing Evaluation?
Signs You May Need a Hearing Evaluation
Hearing changes often happen gradually, so many patients explain them away for a long time. Patients may benefit from an evaluation when they:
- Ask others to repeat themselves often
- Have difficulty following conversations in restaurants, in the car, or in groups
- Hear people speaking but cannot always make out the words
- Turn the TV or phone volume up higher than others do
- Notice ringing, buzzing or whooshing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Experience fullness or muffled hearing in one or both ears
- Feel dizzy or unsteady along with hearing changes (dizziness and balance)
- Have a history of loud noise exposure at work, at concerts, or from hobbies
Sudden hearing loss is different. Patients who notice a sudden drop in hearing, especially in one ear, should seek medical care right away rather than wait for a routine visit. More information is available on sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
What Happens During Your Hearing Evaluation
New patients are typically scheduled for 45 to 90 minutes, depending on their history and symptoms, which allows time for testing, education and a conversation about treatment options. Patients are welcome to bring a spouse, family member or friend who can help with communication during the visit.
- A conversation about your history. The audiologist asks when the changes began, which situations are the most difficult, and about ear infections, noise exposure, ringing, dizziness and general health.
- A look inside the ears. Using an otoscope (a small lighted instrument), the audiologist checks the ear canals and eardrums, because earwax or other blockages can affect test results. When wax is in the way, our earwax removal service may be an option.
- Listening for tones. Wearing headphones, patients signal when they hear very soft beeps at different pitches. The responses are plotted on a chart referred to as an audiogram, which shows the softest sounds heard in each ear.
- Repeating words. Speech testing measures how clearly a patient understands words, not just whether sound is detected, since hearing a voice and understanding it are not the same thing.
- Additional testing when needed. Depending on history and symptoms, the audiologist may use bone conduction testing (a small device placed behind the ear) to determine whether a problem is in the outer or middle ear or in the inner ear. Middle ear testing such as tympanometry may also be used. [CONFIRM tests]
- A review of the results. The audiologist explains the audiogram, answers questions, and recommends the next steps.
What the Results Can Tell You
The results give patients and their audiologist a clear starting point. They can show:
- Whether a hearing loss is present, and whether it affects one ear or both
- How significant it is, from mild to profound, and which pitches are affected
- The type of hearing loss: conductive (outer or middle ear), sensorineural (inner ear) or mixed. See types of hearing loss.
- A baseline to compare with future hearing tests
The results may also point toward possible causes, such as noise exposure, aging, earwax or infection. Some causes may be treated, while others are managed over time.
Why Early Evaluation Matters
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), about 15% of U.S. adults, roughly 37.5 million people, report some trouble hearing. NIDCD also reports that age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss among adults ages 20 to 69.
An earlier evaluation may give patients answers sooner. NIDCD data show that about 18% of adults with moderate or worse hearing loss have depression, compared with about 8% of adults ages 20 to 69 overall. This is a connection, not proof that one causes the other, but it is a reminder that hearing may be tied to quality of life.
What Comes After the Evaluation
The next step depends on what the results show, and the audiologist may recommend:
- Follow-up tests to monitor hearing over time
- Medical follow-up or a referral if something else may be involved
- Hearing aids matched to the patient’s hearing loss, lifestyle and listening needs
- Tinnitus treatment if ringing is part of the picture
- Balance testing if dizziness is part of the picture
- A cochlear implant evaluation if hearing aids may no longer be enough
- Custom hearing protection to help protect the hearing a patient has
Any decision about treatment is left to the patient.
What Comes After the Evaluation
Coates Hearing Clinic is a family-owned, independent audiology practice owned by Dr. Kathleen Coates and her husband, Jordan. Our audiologists take the time to learn each patient’s history and explain every step, so that patients understand their results.
We are members of the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the North Carolina Audiology Association. Meet our audiologists.
Visit our Smithfield clinic at 1652 E Booker Dairy Rd, Smithfield, NC 27577, or ask about our Goldsboro and Clayton locations.
Why Choose Coates Hearing Clinic
Coates Hearing Clinic is a family-owned, independent audiology practice owned by Dr. Kathleen Coates and her husband, Jordan. Our audiologists take the time to learn each patient’s history and explain every step, so that patients understand their results.
We are members of the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the North Carolina Audiology Association. Meet our audiologists.
Visit our Smithfield clinic at 1652 E Booker Dairy Rd, Smithfield, NC 27577, or ask about our Goldsboro and Clayton locations.
Request Your Hearing Evaluation in Smithfield, NC
Patients who have noticed changes in their hearing, or whose family and friends have noticed them, can take the first step with a simple request. Request an appointment online and our team will help find a time that works, or call (919) 300-5438.
