Hearing appointment: What to expect on your first visit

This is the right time. Even if you only have trouble hearing only in certain settings, now is the time to schedule an appointment. We can help you spot the nuanced signs of gradual hearing loss.

At one of our 350+ hearing centers, our Hearing Care Professionals are here to help and guide you. We can give you a hearing test and talk you through your options. Quite possibly, you just need to clean out excessive ear wax, but we can also detect situations that need the immediate care of your doctor. In any case, we are here to support you on your journey back to better hearing.

A routine hearing check-up includes a basic screening, a more detailed hearing test, and informed consultation. Your Hearing Care Professional will want to talk about how you hear in everyday scenarios. They will also use an otoscope, a lighted tool used to look into your ear canal.

Prepare for questions like: When do you notice trouble hearing? How long has it been since you noticed a loss of hearing? Are you regularly exposed to high noise levels? What activities are most impacted?

Be open and honest with your Hearing Care Professional. It will save you time and put you back onto the road to healthy hearing. Getting an accurate view of your hearing health is an essential first step on your journey

After the initial screening, you can take advantage of a more advanced hearing diagnosis known as the audiometric test. Kind of like a translator at the UN, you’ll sit in a sound-treated booth, listening to a series of beeps or tones through headphones. These tones are at different frequency levels, higher and lower pitches of sound. You will usually be given a button to press when you hear a sound or be asked to raise your hand.

The results of your hearing test will be displayed on an audiogram. Your Hearing Care Professional will analyze your audiogram to give you a better understanding of your specific type and degree of hearing loss. They are able to tell you the sounds or frequencies that need improvement and may suggest hearing aids that match well with your needs.

An online hearing test is an easy way to get a general outlook on your hearing ability. While the in-person hearing appointment and hearing test are recommended and more accurate, an online hearing test is still a good place to start.