Hearing Tests
Audiologic Exam
Your hearing will be tested in the comfort of a large professional soundproof room where you can relax and shut the noisy world out. While wearing disposable insert earphones, you will listen to a series of tones where we will determine your most sensitive ability to hear. The audiologist will present calibrated speech to test your ability to understand people in quiet settings and in background noise. We want to gain an understanding of how you understand speech on an everyday basis.
The report your hearing test is called an audiogram. Dr. Taylor will explain your audiogram so you know why you are having hearing difficulty and where hearing loss originates in your auditory system. In the event that the hearing loss can be medically treated, you will be referred to a physician for medical intervention. Only about 20% of hearing loss is medically treatable.
Video Otoscopy
Audiological examination includes otoscopy. The ear canal is a warm, moist, dark space that can harbor harmful bacteria. Under magnification, the ear canal is illuminated to reveal any abnormalities or blockages that may be interfering with your ability to hear. Blockages may include impacted wax or a foreign object. Dr. Taylor will inspect the condition of your ear for the cone of light that appears on a healthy eardrum, as well as abnormalities such as swelling, redness, growths, drainage, or odor. At Colorful Hearing, you can be involved in the process with video otoscopy. You can see your own eardrum magnified in living color. We can also capture that image for comparison of pre-and post-surgical results.
Middle Ear Analysis
Middle ear analysis will be conducted by inserting a soft probe tip at the entrance of your ear canal, one ear at a time. You will hear a hum and feel a slight pressure change while your eardrum’s ability to move is measured. The graphic output of middle ear analysis is called a tympanogram.
Tinnitus – Yes, Something Can Be Done About It
While in the silence of the sound proof room, you may notice ringing in the ears, or tinnitus. Tinnitus can be experienced in many forms. It may sound like buzzing or crickets. It may be constant or intermittent – or even pulsing. Whichever way you hear tinnitus in one or both ears, please tell Dr. Taylor. Colorful Hearing offers Tinnitus Evaluation and Tinnitus Therapy to help restore your sense of peace, focus, and well-being.
During your Tinnitus Evaluation, we will examine your medications, supplements, and medical history. Dr. Taylor will consult with your physician to see if there are medical solutions for resolving your tinnitus. If that is not the case, we have effective solutions to help you overcome the torment of tinnitus.
In the way that listening to the ocean calms your nerves, treating your tinnitus may involve hearing aids that incorporate dynamic sound generators. These subtle sounds give your brain something to focus on rather than the raging tinnitus. Tinnitus treatment breaks the cycle of your stress response to the internal annoying sound, so you can focus on more pleasant things in life. Tinnitus Habituation Therapy takes time. Each case and resulting plan of action is different and individually designed by the audiologist.
Live Speech Mapping
High-Frequency Emphasis Testing
The range of human hearing extends from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Sound is measured on a logarithmic scale, so that is why it is meaningless to assign a percentage to the extent of hearing loss. At Colorful Hearing, we have high-tech equipment to offer you the finest hearing care. We can test your hearing beyond 8000Hz all the way up to 16,000 Hz. High-Frequency Emphasis is a special hearing test that may be warranted for musicians, tinnitus sufferers, cancer Patients, or for monitoring for the impact of workplace noise. We can match the pitch of the tinnitus in your head, or perhaps determine that your hearing is deteriorating in regions that a traditional hearing test might miss.
Online Hearing Tests
Sound is everywhere! It is leaky and sneaky. Sound waves must be controlled in order to accurately measure hearing. Online hearing tests, as well as hearing tests over the phone offer information that can lead to the wrong conclusion. In order to determine your actual hearing ability, sound in the environment needs to be controlled simultaneously as calibrated sound is delivered to your ears.Ambient noise levels that you may not perceive can greatly influence the outcome of a hearing test done online or by phone – so what was really measured?
During an in-office audiologic evaluation, hearing is tested in different ways to determine where the hearing loss originates in the auditory mechanism. Without the specificity of an accurate hearing test, you may know that you cannot hear, but not how to follow up on that information. Hearing loss can be a symptom of other medical conditions. That is why audiologists work closely with physicians to make sure your overall health is protected.
Advocacy
We are looking out for you! Did you know that the State of Texas provides telephone access for hearing impaired persons? We can refer you to the appropriate program to help you hear better on your cell phone or landline. Tell us about your challenges with the phone at your appointment.
Call us at (940) 387-3330, or contact us here to get the accurate hearing test results you desire.
