Hearing Tests for Adults

Have you noticed that people seem to mumble? Is it hard to hear in background noise? Are you working harder to hear your friends and family? These are all signs that you may have hearing loss. A hearing evaluation will determine how well you are able to hear different sounds and understand speech.

When you schedule a hearing evaluation at Boys Town National Research Hospital, here is what you can expect:

1. Discuss your concerns with an audiologist. The audiologist will ask specific questions related to your concerns for hearing, as well as questions related to hearing health, and overall health.
2. Complete the hearing test. You will wear earphones or headphones and respond to sounds that you hear by pressing a button.  You will also hear words at soft levels and conversational levels and be asked to repeat them back. You will then hear more sounds through vibration via a bone conduction headband.
3. Additional testing. Based on the results of your hearing test, the audiologist may complete objective tests such as tympanometry, which is used to diagnose problems with the eardrum and middle ear space; and acoustic reflexes, which can be used to obtain information about the auditory and facial nerves.
4. Review and recommendations. The audiologist will review the results with you and answer any questions you may have. They will also make recommendations including ENT evaluation, and whether hearing aids or other assistive devices may be appropriate for you. They will help you schedule the next appropriate appointments.

Boys Town ENT Institute provides audiology and ENT services for patients of all ages. There are different types of tests depending on the age and concerns of the patient and their family. Please contact us to determine what type of testing is right for you or your family member.