Hearing at Home uses tests to determine the level of hearing loss in one or both ears. Diagnosing the problem takes a small amount of time, but the results are worth the wait. Symptoms of hearing loss are easy to miss, and can easily turn into chronic conditions.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be classified as partial or complete. For one or both ears, that means the loss can range from mild to profound. Individuals can go multiple years without recognizing that their natural hearing is below the recommended level. This leads to situations where treatable conditions become chronic.
Symptoms of hearing loss are not always due to hearing related issues. Sometimes underlying health conditions can cause hearing side effects. That is why hearing health professionals ask for previous medical documentation. This information helps paint a full picture of the current condition and how it has changed the patient’s lifestyle.
The Testing Process
Otoscopic inspection, pure tones and immittance screening makes up the three most common tests. Each serves a specific purpose of measuring hearing in the inner, middle and outer ear. There are many other tests that may be necessary, with age and hearing loss type being the deciding factor. No two patients will have the same testing process, even if their hearing loss is identical. Accuracy is everything with hearing tests, and the results provided will lead to the correct prescription. Hearing at Home has the most advanced mobile diagnostic equipment that allows us to perform a complete audiometric exam anywhere, in the same amount of time as a typical office setting.
Follow-ups
It is vital for patients to schedule and keep follow-up appointments after getting a hearing aid prescription. These meetings are so much more than a way to check-in with a hearing health professional. The initial hearing tests provide results on a patient’s current hearing level. With that information, a recommended treatment plan is created. Hearing changes over time, so the data from the original test becomes outdated. Adjustments need to be made, even if it doesn’t invalidate the old hearing aid prescription. A minor change can make a major difference in how sound is treated in day-to-day life.
When is it Too Late?
It’s never too late to get tested for hearing problems. Chronic hearing issues get treated with the same urgency as regular hearing loss. Patients should never fall into the mental trap of thinking that a hearing test won’t make a difference. The time commitment is small, and Hearing at Home negates the need to make an out-of-the-way trip.