When it comes to healthy ears, formal screenings are different from a hearing evaluation. At Happy Ears Hearing Center in Surprise, Arizona, we specialize in giving you a complete overview of your ear health, from the nature of any hearing loss you may be experiencing along with possible treatment options. Many studies have revealed links between health concerns like depression or dementia with hearing loss. Simply having a test to assess your hearing levels isn’t enough to address the underlying conditions or connections. For hearing evaluations in Surprise, Arizona, turn to our team of experts and audiologists at Happy Ears Hearing.

The Importance of Testing

If you are not experiencing any problems, it can be easy to overlook your hearing. While children have their hearing tested during their annual physicals, many adults do not get similar routine screening each year. Hearing loss can come with age, but consistent exposure to loud noises or poor listening habits can impact your hearing health much earlier in life. Studies have shown that more individuals are experiencing difficulty with their hearing due to excessive use of headphones and earbuds.

Screenings vs. Evaluations

The hearing evaluations we provide at Happy Ears Hearing Center in Surprise, Arizona, are much more than a simple test of hearing. With a screening, a test is conducted using earplugs or headphones in a soundproof booth. The hearing devices are connected to a machine that sends sounds with different pitches and volumes to each ear, but one at a time. You will respond to the sound by indicating when the sound is heard. The test is simple enough that children can complete it with accuracy. The results can show if hearing loss has occurred and the severity of the condition.

With a hearing evaluation, an entire hearing health history is taken. Hearing evaluations involve more than just a timeline of hearing concerns and will include questions about your general medical history or family history. There are many reasons for hearing loss, and having your history on file helps our audiologists determine if your condition could be related to genetics or environmental impact. Medical conditions such as ear infections, allergies, or impacted ear wax can also alter your hearing ability. Trauma to the head or a cranial injury could also be a factor in your hearing loss.

Candidates for Testing

Testing and evaluation shouldn’t wait until signs of loss are evident. Children require an acute sense of hearing for their cognitive, social, and emotional development, and any problems with hearing can stunt a child’s ability to speak and understand language. Teenagers or young adults who spend the majority of their day with earbuds or headphones on are subtly damaging their ears if they aren’t following the recommended guidelines for both usage and noise level. Underlying medical conditions could create hearing concerns, as could head trauma. Hearing tests should be done every few years.

The Evaluation Process

Once our audiologists have your medical and hearing history recorded, we will administer the visual test into your ear. Using a lighted video otoscope, we will inspect the ears’ inner areas for signs of wax blockage, damage, or other abnormalities. There is minimal discomfort during the process, and you will be able to see what our eyes see when we inspect the ear canal. Following the visual exam, we will have you go through a diagnostic hearing test to give us more insight into what type of loss you are experiencing.

The Results of a Hearing Evaluation

Since there are several different types and influencing factors of hearing loss, having a clear diagnosis of which type you struggle with allows our audiologists to make more effective treatment recommendations. Here are the three types of loss you may be experiencing.

1. Conductive hearing loss: In this situation, loss occurs because of problems with the eardrum, the ear canal, or the middle ear and the bones made of (incus, malleus and stapes).
2. Sensorineural hearing loss: Also referred to as nerve-related hearing loss, this loss comes from problems with the inner ear.
3. Mixed hearing loss: As the name implies, this loss is from damage to the auditory nerve or inner ear, in addition to conductive damage in the outer or middle areas of the ear.

Find Hearing Evaluations in Suprise, Arizona

Based on your hearing evaluation results, our audiologists at the Surprise Happy Ears Hearing Center location will be able to form a treatment plan to address your condition. We take pride in providing the best hearing services in the Surprise, AZ area, and you will notice the difference when you visit our office.