What to expect
Your hearing care professional will ask several questions to get to know you and your hearing history. They will complete a diagnostic test that may include any of the following procedures to assess the degree and type of hearing loss you are experiencing. Once completed, they will review all results and discuss the next appropriate steps for your hearing needs.
- Air conduction testing
- Bone conduction testing
- Speech testing
- Tympanometry or acoustic immittance testing
- Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions testing
Types of Hearing Loss
Sensorineural: Hearing loss due to damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. Common causes include aging, genetics, noise exposure, and ototoxic medications
Conductive: Hearing loss due to issues in the outer or middle ear that stops sound from reaching the inner ear, known as the cochlea. It is most often caused by ear infections, fluid in the middle ear space, cerumen, or foreign objects in the ear. Conductive hearing loss can often be corrected with medical intervention.
Mixed: Hearing loss that is the result of a mix of both sensorineural and conductive causes.