Hearing Testing in Orange County

What is a Hearing Test?

If you believe that you or a loved one has hearing loss, we invite you to stop in for a hearing test. A hearing test, or audiometry exam, tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary, based on their loudness (intensity) and the speed of sound wave vibrations (tone). As we age, it is important to continue regular hearing screenings to combat issues related with hearing loss.

To schedule hearing testing with a board-certified audiologist in southern California, contact Southern California Ear, Nose & Throat today. Request an appointment through our secure online form or give your preferred location a call directly. We have clinics in Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach.

What Happens During the Test?

An audiologist typically performs the hearing test. It is a very short, straightforward experience.

• First, you will enter a quiet, soundproof room and you will receive earphones.
• Place the earphones on your head as you sit still.
• A machine will deliver tones and sounds of speech to your ears, one ear at a time. Your earphones are connected to the machine.
• You may be asked to raise your hand when you hear a sound or push a button.
• You will be tested on each individual ear, as well as different tones and volume levels. These evaluate different kinds of hearing loss.
• You will return the earphones and finish the hearing test.
• Your audiologist may review the results with you or schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss findings.

How Does a Hearing Test Work?

Hearing tests are able to detect where your hearing loss has occurred. Sometimes there is damage to the nerve of the ear or the cochlea, and this is called sensorineural hearing loss. Other times you may have damage to the eardrum or the tiny bones, and this is called conductive hearing loss. The test can help determine the type and location of your hearing loss.

Talk with an audiologist at Southern California Ear, Nose & Throat about when you started noticing issues related to your hearing. You can review your medical history and discuss several options in addition to your hearing test.

Why May I Need a Hearing Test?

A hearing test can give you peace of mind and be the start of your journey to a better life. Often our hearing can deteriorate slowly over time. You may not realize how often you are asking someone to repeat, or how loud you are when you speak. You may have the TV volume turned up very loud, or other lifestyle factors that may become more dramatic over time.

Often, age-related hearing loss typically occurs in our sixties and seventies and develops gradually as we age. Statistically we all start to lose our hearing when we are in our forties. One adult in five and more than half of all people over the age of 80 suffer from hearing loss. You are not alone.

Factors contributing to hearing loss:

• Aging
• Chronic exposure to loud noises
• Genetics/hereditary
• Excessive earwax
• Some medications
• Viruses, diseases or illnesses
• Trauma