When patients of any age are having difficulty with their hearing, it can dramatically impact their social lives’ and ability to perform basic tasks requiring interpersonal communication. With today’s technologies, there are few disorders that cannot be addressed through hearing aids or other medical devices. The first step toward finding a solution that addresses all of an individual patient’s needs is to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for hearing testing in Lancaster, PA. This specializing doctor will typically perform one or a few of the tests below to determine the cause and extent of the patient’s hearing loss.
Physical Examination
An audiologist will often use specialized diagnostic tools to physically examine the outer and inner ear. This will help to diagnose or rule out causes such as inflammation, earwax, and infection. A physical exam can also help doctors identify any structural causes of hearing loss that may be present.
General Screening
During a general screening test, a doctor will ask his or her patient to cover one ear, then respond to words or sounds produced at various volumes. The process will then be repeated for the other ear. This allows doctors to identify whether the problem is affecting both sides, or just one side, of a patient’s head.
Tuning Fork Tests
Tuning forks produce a particular pitch when struck against objects. Evaluating how patients react to these pitches can help doctors determine whether or not the hearing loss is a result of damage to the eardrum, sensors, or nerves of the inner ear.
Audiometer Tests
These are typically the most thorough tests performed by audiologists. They involve wearing headphones that direct sound to first one ear, then the other. These sounds are presented within a wide range of tones and volumes, and patients must indicate, usually using by raising a hand, each time they hear a sound. This test may be combined with the general screening tests by using words as well as sounds.
Patients who are concerned about new or worsening hearing loss should schedule an appointment for hearing testing in Lancaster, PA. The tests are non-invasive and painless, so there is no reason to put off getting help. Visit for more information.
