Hearing Tests For North Houston
Like most people, you’re probably faithful about scheduling regular health screenings for your eyes, teeth, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your annual physical, but what about scheduling a test for hearing loss?
Nationwide statistics show that behind arthritis and heart disease, hearing loss is the third most common physical condition faced by Americans. In spite of these troubling numbers, getting a hearing test continues to be far down the list of health screening priorities for most people.
The fact that 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 is frustrating to us because the damage done during that time limits the options of our audiologists when it comes to restoring or improving your hearing.
Scheduling a hearing loss assessment with one of our hearing test experts at the North Houston Hearing Solutions sooner rather than later gives us a head start on preventing or treating your hearing challenges.
North Houston’s Hearing Solutions Expertise Include:
With many of our doctors and staff carrying a backlog of knowledge and experience, we pride ourselves on the expertise that shines through our team.
This has given us the advantage of offering some of the most advanced services in North Houston, allowing us to accurately test your hearing, precisely and accurately.
Some of our expertise includes:
- Otoscopy, video otoscopy
The use of an otoscopic device that has a camera attached to the end allows us to see directly inside your ears for a greater level of precision. - Wax removal
Using a state-of-the-art suction device to remove all the wax out of your ears, safely and effectively - 3D ear scanning
Involves a handheld device that uses a camera and several lasers to take precise measurements inside the ear - Diagnostic audiological testing
Measuring pure tones and varying pitches to discriminate your ability to hear speech, allowing us to quantify and qualify the degree of hearing loss. - Speech and understanding testing
Looking at how you interpret speech, rather than specifically noise. The results are then compared to pure-tone results to help identify hearing loss. - Testing in noise- QuickSIN
Provides an accurate estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio. - Ear Molds
Customized and molded to fit your ears, ensuring maximum comfort and protection. - Listening molds
Customized and molded to fit your ears, ensuring maximum comfort and protection. - Hearing protection
Available for a range of lifestyles, including shooters, swimming, and music. - Sleep molds and swim molds
Providing comfort for all hours of the day. - Hearing devices and hearing aids (daily and extended wear)
Receiver-in-ear, behind-the-ear, invisible, and many more. Each can be tailored to your budget, lifestyle, and unique circumstances. - Hearing aid repairs and maintenance
Accidents happen; we’ve got you covered. - Implantable hearing aids (Lyric)
Placed deep within the ear and customized to your ears. - Tinnitus diagnostics and treatment
Helping you to manage your tinnitus through a combination of tools and methods.
- Real ear measurement
Accurate and precise, measuring both volume and pitch and how this is affected by hearing aids. - OAEs
Otoacoustic Emissions measurement, which works by testing how well your inner ear or cochlea works by using otoacoustic emissions and measuring how your ears respond to the sound. - Tympanometry and acoustic reflexes
Assessing volume of the ear canal, integrity of the tympanic membrane, middle ear pressure. Acoustic measures stapedius and the tensor tympani reflex generated eardrum movement in response to intense sound. - Hearing aid consultations and adjustments
Allowing us to monitor your progress and adjustment to hearing aids. - Comprehensive hearing healthcare
Ongoing treatment and care, supporting you throughout your hearing healthcare journey. - Assistive technology
To further enhance your quality of hearing. - Lifestyle and needs assessment
Helping us to find a hearing aid that suits your lifestyle, budget, and individual listening requirements. - Mobile services
Onsite audiology services for senior living facilities and nursing homes - Cognivue screening
FDA-approved technology for physicians and neurologists. - Balance Testing
We have several advanced technology tests that we use when conducting a balance assessment. - ABR Testing
Auditory Brainstem Response testing. - Reflexes
A test to indicate the ears reflex to loud sounds to assess current hearing capabilities. - Familiar Voice Testing
Allows us to accurately assess hearing as the patient is more likely to understand speech from a familiar voice.
With many of our doctors and staff carrying a backlog of knowledge and experience, we pride ourselves on the expertise that shines through our team.
This has given us the advantage of offering some of the most advanced services in North Houston, allowing us to accurately test your hearing, precisely and accurately.
Some of our expertise includes:
Otoscopy, video otoscopy
The use of an otoscopic device that has a camera attached to the end allows us to see directly inside your ears for a greater level of precision.
Wax removal
Using a state-of-the-art suction device to remove all the wax out of your ears, safely and effectively.
Diagnostic Audiological Testing
Measuring pure tones and varying pitches to discriminate your ability to hear speech, allowing us to quantify and qualify the degree of hearing loss.
Speech and understanding testing
Looking at how you interpret speech, rather than specifically noise. The results are then compared to pure-tone results to help identify hearing loss.
Testing in noise – QuickSIN
Provides an accurate estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio.
Ear Molds, Listening Molds
Customized and molded to fit your ears, ensuring maximum comfort and protection.
Hearing Protection
Available for a range of lifestyles, including shooters, swimming, and music.
Sleep molds and swim molds
Providing comfort for all hours of the day.
Hearing devices and hearing aids (daily and extended wear)
Receiver-in-ear, behind-the-ear, invisible, and many more. Each can be tailored to your budget, lifestyle, and unique circumstances.
Hearing aid repairs and maintenance
Accidents happen; we’ve got you covered.
Implantable hearing aids (Lyric)
Placed deep within the ear and customized to your ears.
Tinnitus Diagnostics and treatment
Helping you to manage your tinnitus through a combination of tools and methods.
Real Ear Measurement
Accurate and precise, measuring both volume and pitch and how this is affected by hearing aids.
OAEs
Otoacoustic Emissions measurement, which works by testing how well your inner ear or cochlea works by using otoacoustic emissions and measuring how your ears respond to the sound.
Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflexes
Assessing volume of the ear canal, integrity of the tympanic membrane, middle ear pressure. Acoustic measures stapedius and the tensor tympani reflex generated eardrum movement in response to intense sound.
Hearing Aid Consultations and adjustments
Allowing us to monitor your progress and adjustment to hearing aids.
Comprehensive Hearing Healthcare
Ongoing treatment and care, supporting you throughout your hearing healthcare journey.
Assistive Technology
To further enhance your quality of hearing
Lifestyle and needs assessment
Helping us to find a hearing aid that suits your lifestyle, budget, and individual listening requirements.
Mobile services
Onsite audiology services for senior living facilities and nursing homes
Cognivue Screening
FDA-approved technology for physicians and neurologists
Balance Testing
We have several advanced technology tests that we use when conducting a balance assessment.
ABR Testing
Auditory Brainstem Response testing.
Myths And Facts About Hearing Loss And Hearing Tests
Where does hearing test hesitancy come from? We’ve heard plenty of reasons why our patients put off “getting their ears checked.” Most of them involve misconceptions, misunderstandings, or myths about hearing loss and hearing tests.
To stop the excuses and encourage you to come on in for a hearing loss assessment, here are six common myths about hearing loss and hearing tests with the facts to help clear things up.
Myth #1. My Hearing Loss Doesn’t Affect Anybody Else.
Fact: 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. Consequently, that means you’re the one most affected by your hearing loss.
In addition, unaddressed hearing challenges contribute to relationship issues at home and work because of failed communication and greater dependence on others to make up for your hearing deficiency.
Myth #2. I’d Be The First To Know If I Had A Hearing Problem.
Fact: Unfortunately, you’ll probably be the last to know you’re struggling with your hearing, but your family, friends, and coworkers will see that you’re struggling with your hearing and suggest that you get some help. Like watching paint dry, hearing loss occurs gradually, making it difficult to notice day-to-day changes.
The caring advice of others regarding your hearing, even if it is annoying, is meant to help you get the help you need from a hearing care professional.
Myth #3. I’ll Just Turn Up The Volume.
Fact: Hearing clarity is usually what suffers when you begin to experience hearing loss, not volume issues. These issues typically involve an inability to sort out conversations when there is background noise, difficulty understanding women and children, or struggling to distinguish between the consonant sounds the, s, and f.
Myth #4. Only Old People Have Hearing Loss.
Fact: Although the majority of hearing loss cases occur in individuals over 70-years-old, people of all ages experience hearing loss stemming from any number of causes unrelated to age.
CDC studies in 2005 and 2011 showed that at least 6 percent (10 million) under age 70 and up to 24 percent (40 million) of the U.S. adults population experience or show signs of hearing loss related to exposure to loud noise or noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Also, about 17 percent of U.S. teens (ages 12 to 19) tested for hearing loss also showed signs of NIHL.
Myth #5. I’m Not Going To Wear Hearing Aids.
Fact: Not all types of hearing loss require the assistance provided by hearing aids. In some cases, removing built-up earwax, a growth or tumor, inflammation, or correcting some other medical condition helps restore hearing.
Even when your hearing test turns out to be normal, it establishes a valuable baseline against which future changes can be measured, and our hearing care specialists are able to provide you with equipment and advice on how to prevent future hearing loss.
Should hearing aids represent the right solution for your hearing challenges, you can rest assured that they are not like those bulky, frustrating contraptions your parents or grandparents wore. Today’s hearing aids are smaller, lighter, more discrete to wear, are more powerful, and much more user-friendly.
Myth #6. I Won’t Learn Anything Useful From A Hearing Loss Assessment.
Fact: A hearing loss assessment is the only way to accurately identify the type and severity of your hearing loss if you have one. In addition, hearing tests provide the data used to customize a hearing care treatment to address your specific hearing needs.
Since hearing loss is often connected to other physical and mental health issues, the early detection of hearing loss by one of our hearing care professionals can help other physicians identify and correct issues that put you at risk of developing debilitating mental, physical, and emotional health conditions.
“Clean office, friendly people, explained every step. The whole team is professional and engaging.”
What Happens At A Hearing Test
A conversation about you is the first stage of our hearing test for adults.Besides the added perk of getting to know our patients, our conversation will help us identify how your occupation and lifestyle, hobbies, special interests, leisure activities, medical history, and family history might be contributing to your hearing challenges.
We’re committed to following the best practices of audiology at North Houston Hearing Solutions, which includes transparency.Consequently, we encourage you to bring up any questions or concerns related to your hearing loss, hearing aids, treatment options, and hearing care services we provide.
Physical Examination Of Your Ears
The next stage in our hearing test involves your audiologist taking a look at your ears using an otoscope (a magnifying glass with a light on a tapered tip), which allows us to evaluate the ear canal and eardrum. We are looking for skin conditions, earwax accumulation, the presence of other obstructions like inflammation or a growth, and damage to the eardrum.
In some cases, earwax removal, extracting a bug, or some other foreign object is all it takes to improve your hearing. Sometimes we need to prescribe medication to reduce inflammation or conduct a simple surgical procedure to remove a tumor, growth, or other obstruction in order to correct a temporary hearing loss.
Common Hearing Tests For Adults
A full series of hearing tests, designed to zero in on the exact type of hearing loss and its level of severity, are
included in a comprehensive hearing assessment, such as:
Tympanometry
A short burst of air in your ear canal from a specialized tool is all you’ll have to deal with during this test. With a tympanometry, your audiologist evaluates the structural integrity and function of the middle ear by measuring negative pressure, which is common with allergies, a cold, or fluid behind the eardrum.
Pure Tone Audiometry, Word Recognition, And Bone Conduction Testing
The next series of tests are designed to establish your hearing threshold, which are the softest and loudest sounds you are able to hear. These audiogram tests involve seating you in a soundproof booth, fitting you with specialized earphones, and asking you to respond to each tone or spoken word(s) you hear.
This series of tests includes:
- Pure Tone Audiometry, which includes the transmission of tones at different frequencies and volumes through your headphones.
- Word Recognition Tests involve the transmission of spoken words at different volumes and frequencies, with and without background noise, allowing us to measure your hearing in a real-world hearing environment.
- Bone Conduction is similar to Pure Tone Audiometry but bypasses the hearing pathway 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 your audiologist collects during this series of tests helps us program your hearing aids, should their assistance be the best solution for helping you achieve better hearing.
Otoacoustic Emissions Test
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) tests are designed to evaluate the function of the inner ear, or cochlea. Your audiologist will insert a probe into your ear for this test.
Sounds heard by the cochlea cause vibrations (OAEs), which are measured by the probe. The level of the OAEs measured by the probe helps determine how well the hair cells in the cochlea transmit the sound signal to the brain.
Play Audiometry For Children
Audiometry testing can be more challenging when dealing with children between ages 2 and 5, which is why our audiologists use play audiometry during a hearing assessment for children.
Play audiometry involves games, like 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. This technique allows your child’s audiologist to determine the hearing threshold of the child and the type of hearing loss in an environment that is more comfortable for young children.
Discussing Your Results
The final stage of our comprehensive hearing assessment involves discussing and explaining the results of your tests. Besides helping clarify what each of the results means, our best practices include encouraging you to ask questions and provide your audiologist with feedback.
We strongly recommend that you provide us with your input when it comes to the treatment options or preventive measures we recommend. Complete honesty and transparency upfront are an integral part of establishing a hearing care partnership that combines our expertise with your needs, objectives, lifestyle, and personal preferences.
Schedule A Hearing Assessment
Are family and friends harassing you about getting your ears checked? Is anyone complaining about the volume of your television? Maybe you’re struggling to enjoy a night out or family gathering because there’s just too much background noise.
It might be time to listen to the annoying advice of your friends and family who want to help you improve your quality of life and maintain better communication. Whether for your wellbeing or just to get them off your back, contact North Houston Hearing Solutions to schedule a hearing assessment.
Simply complete and submit the adjacent form, and then one of our patient care specialists will help schedule a hearing assessment.
