Hearing Tests
What to expect at a comprehensive hearing evaluation at aim hearing
The First Step to Better Hearing
At AIM Hearing, we believe that a thorough hearing evaluation is the foundation of effective hearing care. Our comprehensive hearing tests go beyond simple screenings, providing a detailed analysis of your hearing abilities.
Using state-of-the-art equipment and following best practices, our hearing care professionals conduct a series of tests to assess the type, degree, and configuration of your hearing loss. This in-depth approach allows us to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique hearing needs and lifestyle.
Our Hearing Test Process:
Our hearing test process is designed to be thorough, comfortable, and informative. Here's what you can expect during your visit:
Comprehensive Evaluation:
We conduct a thorough hearing assessment, including a detailed discussion of your medical history and hearing concerns.
Diagnostic Testing:
We perform a series of tests to assess your hearing abilities comprehensively, including pure-tone audiometry and speech audiometry.
Results Review and Recommendations:
We explain your test results in detail and discuss potential treatment options tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle.
Hearing Test Battery
video Otoscopy
Air Conduction testing
video Otoscopy
Using a tool called an otoscope (or in our Case we have Video Otoscopy).
We will begin your hearing evaluation By examining your outer ear. In order to be able to hear clearly, our ear canals must be free from blockages and our eardrums must be intact. If there is an issue these high resolution images or video can be emailed to your GP or ENT.
Alan also specialize in earwax removal using all of the most advanced earwax removal technology and techniques.
Tympanometry
Air Conduction testing
video Otoscopy
Tympanometry is a test to evaluate a variety of outer and middle ear conditions To perform this test, air will be pushed into your ear canal to measure the movement of your eardrum.
If there is a difference between your Air Conduction and Bone Conduction thresholds, this test will help you audiologist determine why.
Air Conduction testing
Air Conduction testing
Bone Conduction Testing
The next step in your hearing evaluation will take place in a sound proof booth with either headphones or insert earphones.
Air Conduction testing uses audible “beep” sounds to determine your hearing thresholds, which are the softest level of sounds that you can barely hear, at different frequency ranges. These are indicated on an Audiogram by the Blue X’s and Red O’s.
Bone Conduction Testing
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
Bone Conduction Testing
Bone conduction testing is performed using a bone oscillator on your mastoid bone behind your ear. This sends the vibration of sound directly through your skull into your inner ear, bypassing your outer and middle ear, to determine your Bone Conduction Thresholds.
If there is a difference between your Air Conduction Thresholds and your Bone Conduction Thresholds, then it can indicate a specific type of hearing loss that may require medical treatment.
Speech Reception Thresholds And Word Recognition Testing
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
The next step in a comprehensive hearing evaluation is speech testing starting with Speech Reception Thresholds (SRTs). This is when you are presented with a series of 2 syllable words that decrease in volume. The goal is to identify the softest level of speech, in decibels, that you can barely understand.
After SRTs are determined, Word Recogntion Testing is completed. Using recorded words, not live speech, you are presented with 1 syllable words at a fully audible level to determine your percentage of speech understanding.
The higher these percentages are, the better you are at comprehending speech, and the better you are expected to perform with hearing aids.
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
Speech in Noise (SIN) and Auditory contrast Testing (ACT)
Speech-in-Noise Testing is a commonly overlooked Best Practice test. Your ability to understand speech in background noise, with and without hearing treatment, is something that can be measured. SIN tests like the Quick-SIN is a terrific way to identify how much separation of speech is needed above the background noise before you can understand what someone is saying. For your audiologist to optimize your ability to hear in background noise, understanding your Speech-in-Noise score is critical.
Auditory Contrast Testing (ACT) is a diagnostic tool used to evaluate how well a person can distinguish between different sounds in challenging listening environments, such as speech in noise.
Unlike pure tone audiometry, which tests hearing sensitivity, ACT assesses the brain’s auditory processing abilities—specifically, the ability to detect subtle changes in frequency, timing, and intensity between sounds.
ACT is designed to detect central auditory processing deficits and can be particularly useful for individuals who:
- Report hearing difficulties despite normal audiograms
- Struggle with background noise
- Have suspected auditory neuropathy or cognitive decline
Wat Happens after the testing?
Wat Happens after the testing?
Wat Happens after the testing?
Following testing, Alan will discuss your treatment options where you will jointly decide the best treatment option that suits your unique hearing loss and your hearing priorities.
If you have never been treated for Hearing loss before we prefer to write a letter to your GP with a detailed report of our findings and recommendations and strongly encourage you to make an appointment to see your GP so you and your primary care physician can discuss whether taking the next steps such as conducting Hearing Aid trials or perhaps you ma need to be referred to a specialist such as an ENT.
This way YOU and your GP make an informed decision about YOUR Hearing treatment journey.
Hearing Aid Trials
Wat Happens after the testing?
Wat Happens after the testing?
At AIM Hearing; being an Independent clinic we prefer the client have a hand firmly on the steering wheel when they make a Final decision on what Hearing aid works best for them.
We prefer to do at a Minimum 2x 7-day trials so you can test the different brands back to back so you make an informed decision of which hearing ais best worked for you in your living situation as everyone has different hearing loss and live different lives so what one Hearing aid brand works great for one person may not work for another. This way you compare apples to apples in real time as Hearing aid companies have very good marketing campaigns to convince you that there is no other alternative.
Many hearing clinics are actually owned by the Manufacturer themselves so they will always only recommend that particular brand and convince you that the other brands are inferior. Always ask your Hearing care clinic if they are owned by a Manufacturer
Don't be fooled, make a choice of the hearing aid you feel is the best choice for you.
real ear measurements
Optimizing Hearing Aid Fittings with Real Ear Measurements
At AIM Hearing, we believe in providing the highest standard of care for our patients. Real Ear Measurement (REM) is a critical component of our best practice approach to hearing aid fittings.
This advanced technique allows us to verify and adjust your hearing aids' performance while they're in your ears, ensuring you receive the exact amplification prescribed for your unique hearing loss. By utilizing REM, we can optimize your hearing aids for better speech understanding, sound quality, and overall satisfaction.
Think of Real Ear Measurement (REM) like a Dyno tuning for a car. Say you bought a brand new car from a dealership and that car is advertised to have 400KW of power. Now you just have to take the salesman and dealerships word that your car in fact has 400KW of power. Now if you took that car immediately to a mechanic with a Dyno tuner and they rigged it up and tested it. It may have only 370KW of power. It's close but it's not what you paid for. Then the mechanic has to tune the car using the dyno to get that 400KW that you wanted.
Real Ear Measurement (REM) is the same principle for tuning hearing aids. We use a third party piece of equipment to verify and validate that the fitting prescription from that hearing aid software that it believes is correct is in fact correct and if its not we can adjust those frequencies until they do match the prescriptive targets that you actually need.
Our real ear measurement process
Our REM process is designed to provide you with the most accurate and effective hearing aid fitting possible .
initial programming
We program your hearing aids based on your audiogram and our comprehensive hearing evaluation findings.
In-Ear Measurement
Using a tiny microphone placed in your ear canal, we measure the actual output of your hearing aid while it's in your ear.
Adjustment and Verification
We make precise adjustments to ensure your hearing aids match your prescribed targets across all frequencies for optimal performance.
The Importance of Real Ear Measurements
Real Ear Measurements are essential for achieving optimal hearing aid performance. Unlike standard fitting methods that rely on estimates, REM provides objective data about how sound is actually delivered to your ear.
This allows us to account for the unique shape and acoustics of your ear canal, ensuring your hearing aids are tailored specifically to you.
Benefits of Real Ear Measurements
Our use of Real Ear Measurements offers several significant advantages:
- Improved speech understanding in various environments
- Reduced need for follow-up appointments
- Greater comfort and satisfaction with your hearing aids
The Importance of Real Ear Measurements
The vast majority of professionally fit hearing aids are programmed at First-Fit Manufacturer settings. First-Fit settings are essentially a guess about how much amplification you need to overcome your hearing loss. Unfortunately, your hearing performance will suffer significantly if this is the approach taken to program your hearing aids.
If you truly want to hear your absolute best with your hearing aids then you need your hearing aid programmed using Real Ear Measurement. Real Ear Measurement (REM) is a verification method performed by AIM Hearing to ensue that you are meeting your hearing loss prescription for the amount of amplification needed to overcome your hearing loss.
To perform REM, our hearing care professionals will place probe microphone tubes inside of your ears to measure the amount of amplification you are receiving from your hearing aids. The will then adjust the Manufacturer programming software to precisely match your prescriptive targets.
Individuals who have their hearing aid programming verified with Real Ear Measurement, not only perceive better sound quality, but they also understand speech significantly better in quiet and background noise.
Real Ear Measurement is one of many Best Practice procedures provided at Applied Hearing Solutions that yield treatment success rates significantly above the industry average.