Hearing Test

The Hearing Test

At Audi-Lab, Dublin, we are proud of what we do, and we are very proud of the help that we give our Patients. We have invested heavily in state of the art equipment from GN Otometrics for our audiology suite. Equipment that allows us to deliver an experience to our Patients like no other. Using internationally recognized best practice processes we find out exactly what is going on and what is the best option for you and your hearing difficulty.

We offer a comprehensive hearing assessment, evaluating all the functions of your Auditory system. The hearing assessment is made up of several tests that give us the information we need to fully evaluate hearing function. With a full and clear diagnosis we can then assess if hearing aids are suitable for you.

A Clear Treatment Plan

On foot of your diagnostic evaluation we will set out and agree a clear treatment plan that covers all of the elements of your treatment and your individualized Patient Journey. The treatment plan outlines  what we propose, how we propose to deliver it and how you can be expected to benefit from it. 
 

The procedure involves the following tests;

Pure tone testing (Audiometry)
Speech testing (Audiometry)
Tympanometry
Acoustic Reflex Threshold testing
Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) testing

Speech Testing

This group of tests is plotted on our system which allows us to assess the impact that your hearing loss is having on your understanding of speech sounds. The test results are also used as a tool to reveal exactly how your loss is effecting your understanding of speech in both quiet and noisy situations. We use speech testing to assisting us in the recommendation of suitable hearing aids because it allows us to define the sounds in speech that you have most difficulty with.

Audiometry ( Hearing Test)

The audiologist will conduct the hearing test by asking the patient to listen, through headphones, to a series of tones played at different frequencies and volume levels.    How well these are heard will indicate if you have a hearing loss, the severity of same, and what will be needed to correct it.

Additional tests may be added to the group of tests if an asymmetry of thresholds is found, or if you have tinnitus or dizziness.

Tympanometry

This test measures how well your middle ear works. Your middle ear includes your ear drum, the middle ear bones, and your Eustachian tube. It will reveal any abnormalities such as fluid in the middle ear cavity, eustaction tube disfunction etc.

Acoustic Reflex Thresholds

This test measures how the stapedius muscle contracts in response to a loud sound. The absence or presence of acoustic reflexes can be important for differential diagnosis. Quite often we will check acoustic reflex along with middle ear function. 

Distortion Product Oto-acoustic Emissions (DPOAE)

This test measures how well the outer hair cells in the cochlear work. The outer hair cells produce low-level sounds called Otoacoustic Emissions in response to clicks. A conductive or sensorineural hearing loss will often result in absent DPOAE responses

How long does the group of tests take?

The group of tests is completed in 60 minutes. After the testing, the results are reviewed with you and recommendations are made.

Hearing Aid Benefit Assessment

If you are a suitable candidate for hearing aids, we will then move onto a hearing aid benefit assessment. During this test we use our fitting suite to fit a set of suitable hearing aids to your defined loss. We then use Real Ear Measurement (REM) to verify that the devices are delivering the amplification that you need. We will then undertake aided speech tests to ascertain the benefit delivered.

Real World Situations

Our state of the art system allows us to test the benefit of the hearing aids in real world situations, so if your problem is in noisy environments such as a restaurant we can put you there and test the benefit of the devices without you having to leave the comfort of our office.