Comprehensive Hearing Assessments

Quick And Accurate Hearing Test In Lake Charles

You’re probably pretty faithful about getting all the health checks, such as eyes, teeth, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your annual physical, but what about tests for hearing loss?

Health monitoring statistics indicate that hearing loss is the third most common physical condition, behind arthritis and heart disease, but a hearing evaluation continues to be far down the list of most people’s health screening priorities.

Unfortunately, hearing tests don’t usually happen until hearing deteriorates to the point that it becomes a struggle to communicate and remain independent and active.

In fact, the average person waits about seven years after the first signs of hearing loss begin to show up before they decide to get hearing tested.

By that time, the damage incurred makes it more difficult for audiologists to restore hearing.

By scheduling a hearing loss assessment with one of our hearing test experts at the Acadian Hearing Center sooner rather than later, treatment is easier and we have a better chance of achieving the results you need.

Schedule Your Hearing Assessment

Very thorough on the test which I needed to know and my appointment went off on time too

Dudley D.

Acadian hearing is the best. Everyone is kind. They go above and beyond to help you with your hearing problems.

Janice M.

These people treated me so good! Great service! Very professional. Changed my whole life

Michael S.

Why Do People Put Off Hearing Assessments?

In spite of the growing number of people experiencing hearing challenges, there is still a great deal of hesitancy when it comes to assessments for hearing loss. Misinformation about hearing loss and hearing testing are among the reasons that tests for hearing loss are low on the list of health care priorities for most people.

In spite of the growing number of people experiencing hearing challenges, there is still a great deal of hesitancy when it comes to assessments for hearing loss. Misinformation about hearing loss and hearing testing are among the reasons that tests for hearing loss are low on the list of health care priorities for most people.

Audiologist performing physical ear inspection during hearing test

Here are five of the most common misconceptions about hearing loss, along with the truth to help clear things up:

1. My Hearing Loss Doesn’t Bother Anybody

In reality, you are the person most affected by your hearing loss. When hearing loss is left untreated, it reduces your quality of life by putting you at risk for developing mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, as well as other physical health problems, like cognitive decline, vertigo, balance disorders, and an increased risk of accidents.

Unaddressed hearing challenges also contribute to relationship issues at home and at work due to reduced communication issues and greater dependence on others to make up for your hearing deficiency.

2. I’d Be The First To Know If I Had A Hearing Problem

Hearing loss comes on so gradually that it is difficult to notice day-to-day changes, sort of like watching paint dry. Consequently, you’ll probably be the last to know if you have a hearing problem, while family, friends, and coworkers are likely to recognize that you’re struggling with your hearing.

The caring advice given by others when it comes to your hearing challenges, even if it is annoying, is meant to help guide you toward getting the help you need to achieve better hearing health.

3. I’ll Just Turn Up The Volume When I Can’t Hear

Volume is only one of the problems associated with hearing loss. Hearing clarity is what typically suffers as you begin to experience hearing loss.

The inability to sort out conversations when there is background noise, difficulty understanding women and children, or struggling to distinguish between the consonant sounds th, s, and f, are the product of reduced hearing clarity rather than volume.

4. Only Old People Suffer From Hearing Loss

This is partly true, the majority of individuals with hearing loss are over 70, and the cause of their condition is related to age deterioration. However, people of all ages experience hearing loss stemming from a variety of different causes unrelated to age.

A 2011-2012 CDC study indicated that at least 10 million adults (6 percent) in the U.S. under age 70, maybe up to 40 million adults (24 percent), show signs of hearing loss related to exposure to loud noise or noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Research conducted six years earlier found that about 17 percent of U.S. teens (ages 12 to 19) tested for hearing loss also showed signs of NIHL.

5. I Won’t Learn Anything Useful From A Hearing Loss Assessment

Actually, a hearing loss assessment is the only way to accurately determine whether or not you’re experiencing hearing loss. Without one, audiologists cannot prescribe the right treatment plan for your hearing loss. Besides identifying your type and severity of hearing loss, hearing tests provide the data used to customize a treatment program that addresses your specific hearing needs.

Because hearing loss is often connected to a variety of physical and mental health issues, the early detection of hearing loss through a comprehensive hearing assessment by our hearing care professionals helps prevent or correct issues that put you at risk of developing debilitating mental, physical, and emotional health condition and broken relationships that threaten your quality of life.

What Happens in a Hearing Test?

Our hearing test for adults begins with a conversation about you. We enjoy the opportunity to get to know our patients, but we’re also interested in determining how your occupation and lifestyle, hobbies, special interests, leisure activities, medical history, and family history might be contributing to your hearing challenges.

Since transparency is a part of the best practices of audiology we adhere to at Acadian Hearing, we also give you an opportunity to bring up any questions or concerns related to your hearing loss, hearing aids, treatment options, and hearing care services we provide.

Step 1 - Physical Examination Of Your Ears

After our conversation, your audiologist will use an otoscope (a magnifying glass with a light on a tapered tip) in order to evaluate the ear canal and eardrum. We are assessing skin conditions, earwax accumulation, the presence of other obstructions like inflammation or a growth, and the structural integrity of the eardrum.

In some cases, the removal of earwax, a bug, or some other foreign object found during an otoscopy is all it takes to improve your hearing. In other cases, where a growth or inflammation is involved, medication or a simple surgical procedure to remove an obstruction will restore a temporary hearing loss.

Step 2 - Common Hearing Tests for Adults

Best practices for professional hearing assessments include a full series of hearing tests that zero in on the exact type of hearing loss and its level of severity, including:

Step 3 - Tympanometry

This test typically includes nothing more than a short burst of air in your ear canal from a specialized tool and is used by your audiologist to evaluate the structural integrity and function of the middle ear. It helps us find negative pressure, which is common with allergies, a cold, or fluid behind the eardrum.

Step 4 - Pure Tone Audiometry, Word Recognition, and Bone Conduction Testing

To establish your hearing threshold, which are the softest and loudest sounds you are able to hear, the next series of audiogram tests will involve sitting you in a soundproof booth or room and asking you to respond to each tone or spoken word(s) you hear. This series of tests includes:

  • Pure Tone Audiometry involves the transmission of tones at different frequencies and volumes.
  • Word Recognition involves the transmission of spoken words at different volumes and frequencies, with and without background noise, in order to determine your hearing capacity in a real-world hearing environment.
  • Bone Conduction is similar to Pure Tone Audiometry but bypasses the hearing canal to test the function of the inner ear, eliminating or confirming sensorineural hearing loss.

In addition to identifying the type and severity of your hearing loss, the data collected during these hearing tests is used to program hearing aids, should you require their assistance to achieve better hearing.

Step 5 - Otoacoustic Emissions Test

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) tests help to evaluate the function of the inner ear, also called the cochlea. For this test, your audiologist inserts a probe into the ear. Sounds heard by the cochlea cause vibrations measured by the probe. Issues associated with how the hair cells in the cochlea transmit the sound signal to the brain are identified due to the level of OAEs or vibrations measured by the probe.

Step 6 - Play Audiometry for Children

Conducting audiometry is a bit more complicated when working with children between ages 2 and 5. In order to make things a bit less challenging, our audiologists use play audiometry during a hearing assessment for children. Play audiometry involves games, such as placing a peg in a hole or putting a block in a bucket, each time the child is able to hear a tone or speech.

Play audiometry allows your child’s audiologist to determine the hearing threshold of the child and the type of hearing loss in a more comfortable atmosphere for young children.

Step 7 - Discussing Your Results

The final part of our comprehensive hearing assessment is discussing the results of your tests. In addition to helping clarify what each of the results means, our best practices include making sure that you fully understand by encouraging you to ask questions.

When it comes to the treatment options to help restore or protect your hearing from further damage, we ask for your input during this process. For us, complete honesty and transparency are a critical part of establishing a hearing care partnership designed to combine our expertise with your needs, objectives, lifestyle, and personal preferences.

Our hearing test for adults begins with a conversation about you. We enjoy the opportunity to get to know our patients, but we’re also interested in determining how your occupation and lifestyle, hobbies, special interests, leisure activities, medical history, and family history might be contributing to your hearing challenges.

Since transparency is a part of the best practices of audiology we adhere to at Acadian Hearing, we also give you an opportunity to bring up any questions or concerns related to your hearing loss, hearing aids, treatment options, and hearing care services we provide.

Audiologist discussing hearing assessment results with a female patient

Schedule a Hearing Assessment

Are others complaining about the volume of your television or harassing you about getting your ears checked? Is it becoming more and more difficult to enjoy a night out or family gathering due to background noise?

Though it may be annoying, your friends and family are trying to help you improve your quality of life and maintain better communication. Your best response is to contact the hearing care expert nearest you to schedule a hearing assessment.

It’s easy. Just fill in and submit the adjacent form, and one of our patient care specialists will help schedule a hearing assessment.

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