If you are struggling to hear the people around you, it can be frustrating. Here are a few things you need to know about getting a hearing evaluation.

What are hearing aid evaluations?

A hearing evaluation is a series of tests used to determine if you have hearing loss or a hearing impairment, and if so, what kind. It can also help to identify the type and severity of your hearing loss or impairment.

Who performs hearing evaluations?

The evaluation may be performed by an audiologist, a physician specializing in diagnosing and treating hearing and balance disorders, not simply a hearing aid salesperson.

What happens during a hearing aid evaluation?

During the evaluation, you will be asked questions about your medical history and any hearing difficulties you may have experienced. You will also be asked to describe how your hearing loss affects your daily life.

You will then be asked to undergo a series of tests, which may include:

• Pure tone audiometry. This test measures your ability to hear different tones at different pitches or frequencies.
• Speech audiometry. This test measures your ability to understand speech at different volumes and in noise.
• Tympanometry. This test measures how well your eardrum moves in response to changes in pressure.
• Acoustic reflex testing. This test measures your acoustic reflex, or your ear's natural tendency to protect itself from loud noises.
• Otoacoustic emission testing. This test uses a small microphone to measure sound waves that are emitted by your cochlea, or inner ear.
• Auditory brainstem response testing. This test measures your brain's response to sound by measuring electrical activity in the auditory nerve and brainstem.

During the test, you typically wear headphones and sit in a soundproof room separate from the tester.

What causes hearing loss?

There are a number of different causes of hearing loss, including:

• Age-related hearing loss
• Exposure to loud noise
• Earwax buildup
• Certain medications
• Infections or diseases of the ear
• Structural problems with the ear
• Trauma to the head or ear

Who should schedule a hearing aid evaluation?

If you think you may have hearing loss, it's important to see a doctor or an audiologist to get your hearing checked. You should also have your hearing checked if you have had a recent ear injury, or if you have been exposed to loud noise on a regular basis.

At what age do people start to lose their hearing?

Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is the gradual deterioration of hearing that occurs as you grow older. It is a common problem, affecting one in three people over the age of 65.

What are signs that you are losing your hearing?

Signs that you may be losing your hearing include:

• Asking people to repeat themselves often
• Turning up the volume on the television or radio
• Struggling to follow conversations in noisy places
• Withdrawing from social situations
• Feeling tired or irritable from having to strain to hear

How is hearing loss treated?

Hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other assistive devices. In some cases, hearing loss can also be treated with surgery. If you have mild hearing loss, you may not need treatment.

Hearing loss is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Get a hearing aid evaluation today so you can hear better tomorrow.