Hearing Testing To Determine if You Could be Helped by a Hearing Aid

Who Should Get A Hearing Aid Test?

Hearing loss can be gradual and difficult to notice until it’s advanced. That’s why you should have your hearing screened once a year.

You should get a hearing test if you find yourself:

  • Straining to hear conversations
  • Asking family and friends to repeat themselves often
  • Missing lines in movies or at the theater
  • Listening to the TV at a level so loud that others complain
  • Turning the volume up all the way on your phone

What Will A Hearing Test Show?

Hearing tests measure your ability to hear different frequencies at different volumes. When you’re finished, you’ll get an audiogram, which is a printout of your test results. If it turns out you need hearing aids, the audiogram helps us program your hearing aid to your specific hearing loss, similar to getting a prescription for eyeglasses.

What Happens During A Hearing Test?

Your hearing is an important part of your overall health. Because hearing loss is often related to other health issues, we’ll begin by reviewing recent changes to your health. We’ll also ask a number of questions about where you notice you are struggling to hear.

Depending on what this initial hearing evaluation uncovers we may opt to do additional hearing tests or refer you to a physician.

Audiometric Hearing Test

Can you hear sounds, but have trouble making out what people are saying? This hearing test will determine how well you hear different tones and how well you’re able to hear words. We’ll say words that are commonly misunderstood and ask you to repeat them. The results of this test show hearing loss as a percentage and is a good indication of whether hearing aids will work for you.

How To Read Your Hearing Test Results

Your hearing test results will come to you as a chart called an audiogram. Along the left side is the volume as measured in decibels. Along the bottom are frequencies. Laying it out on a chart allows you to see clearly whether you have hearing loss at higher or lower frequencies and how bad it is. (Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through this.) If you can’t hear a sound until it’s at least 30 decibels you have some hearing loss. The louder a sound has to be before you hear it, the more severe your hearing loss is.

Young girl in a hearing booth having her hearing tested.

What a Complete Hearing Evaluation Covers

A thorough hearing test isn’t just about whether you can hear a beep. Our evaluation examines every dimension of how you actually hear in real life — including the situations where hearing loss hits hardest, like noisy restaurants or group conversations. 

Here’s what we assess: 

  1. Soft and loud sounds — Your hearing range across volumes, from a whisper to a busy street 
  1. Understanding speech in quiet — Whether you can make out words clearly in a calm environment 
  1. Understanding speech in noise — One of the most common complaints; this tests how well you follow conversation when there’s background noise 
  1. Noise tolerance — How your ears respond to and process competing sounds 
  1. Directional hearing — Your ability to identify where sound is coming from 
  1. Focused listening — Sustained attention to a single voice or source 

Results from all six areas are reviewed with you immediately after the test, so you leave with a clear picture of your hearing health — not just a number. 

Your test is always free. No obligation, no pressure. 

Book Your Free Hearing Test

How to Get the Most Out of Your Appointment 

How to Prepare for Your Hearing Test and Get the Most Out of Your Appointment 

Getting the most accurate results — and the most useful advice — comes down to a little preparation. Here’s what we recommend before your appointment: 

Previous audiograms, any known noise exposure (job sites,$ concerts, military service), medications you're taking, and family history of hearing loss are all useful context for our specialists. 

Hearing loss affects the people around you too. A trusted person can share what they've observed, help you remember what we discuss, and participate in a quick voice test. Many of our patients find this makes the appointment more meaningful. 

After the test itself, we walk through your results together so you understand exactly what they mean — and what your options are. 

Schedule an Appointment in Brentwood or Walnut Creek