Testing
Painting the Whole Picture
Hearing is a complex process that relies on a variety of structural and neurological factors. At Audio Help Hearing Centers in New York City, Westchester and Brooklyn, we will perform a wide range of diagnostic tests to determine the type, cause and severity of your hearing loss. Then, we use that information to recommend treatment that’s appropriate for you.
Audiological Testing
To best treat your hearing loss, we begin with a basic audiological assessment. One of our audiologists will review your symptoms and factors that affect hearing, including family history of hearing loss, medical history, prescriptions, and noise exposure. We perform a visual examination of your ears and ear canals to ensure that they’re free of wax and debris before moving forward with more in-depth testing.
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Acoustic Reflexes
The acoustic reflex occurs whenever our ears are stimulated by sounds. It’s an involuntary muscle contraction in the middle ear. With thorough testing, we can measure how effective your acoustic reflexes are to determine how they are affecting your ability to hear.
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Central Auditory Processing Evaluation
Auditory processing is the utilization of acoustic information by the central nervous system. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is marked by a deficit in one or more of the areas that are needed to properly decode acoustic messages.
The characteristics of CAPD in children are inattentiveness, difficulty understanding speech in noise, frequently asking others to repeat themselves, being a poor listener, difficulty following multiple-step instructions, poor performance in school despite normal or high intelligence, problems taking notes and poor reading, spelling and/or language skills.
Normally a psychological evaluation is conducted first to rule out possible causes like ADHD and other learning disorders. A full speech and language evaluation is also conducted, followed by a series of audiological evaluations to properly diagnose CAPD.
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Otoacoustic Emission
Although we usually think of the ears as taking in sound, they also put out sounds of their own. They’re called otoacoustic emissions and there are two types: spontaneous and evoked. Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions occur without external stimulation and evoked otoacoustic emissions require a stimulus.
Because they tend to disappear when the inner ear is damaged, your otoacoustic emissions help us gain a better understanding of your hearing.
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Pure-Tone
Pure tone audiometry is a behavioral test that is used to gauge hearing sensitivity. The test provides us with an indication of the softest sound that’s audible to an individual. That gives us an understanding of the base level of your hearing abilities. Pure-Tone also takes into account both peripheral and central auditory systems, offering a more comprehensive view of your hearing loss.
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Balance
Because balance is linked to inner ear functions, we sometimes recommend balance testing to our patients. Balance conditions can be the result of damage to the inner ear, neurological defects or issues with blood flow. We’ll detect the problem to help restore balance to both your body and your life.
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Neuro-Audiology
When you think about hearing, chances are you picture ears. While the ears and their structure are important to the process, there’s a complex system of nerves that’s integral to your hearing abilities. Neuro-audiology assessments detect defects and damage to the nerves involved in the hearing process.
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Speech Audiometry
Although broad assessments of hearing are helpful, it’s important to gain a clear view of how patients take in and understand speech. Speech audiometry measures an individual’s ability to comprehend speech. It helps to use a familiar voice, such as a friend and family member, to gain a more accurate view in what is generally a subjective test.
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Tinnitus
To gain a better understanding of your tinnitus, we use a comprehensive approach, including questionnaires, in-depth interviews and specialized tinnitus tests.
The initial assessment begins prior to your office visit. You will be sent a packet of questionnaires related to your general health as well as your tinnitus history. These should be brought with you to your initial appointment.
A portion of your initial consultation will be spent discussing your history with tinnitus as well as how it has affected you. You will then be seated in a sound-treated room and will undergo a series of tests to help your audiologist better understand your hearing and tinnitus. These tinnitus tests are painless and your audiologist will ensure that you are informed and comfortable throughout the entire process.
Once you have completed the assessment and tinnitus tests, your audiologist will explain the results to you. They will also relate those findings to your tinnitus symptoms. Finally, you will work together with your audiologist to formulate a tinnitus treatment plan of action based on their recommendations.
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Tympanometry
Tympanometry is a test that utilizes varying air pressures to measure the condition of the middle ear as well as the mobility of the eardrum and the conduction bones. This test should always be used with pure-tone audiometry to provide a comprehensive view of hearing sensitivity.
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Trust the experts at Audio Help to diagnose and treat a wide variety of hearing-related issues. We have five convenient locations throughout New York City, West Chester and Brooklyn.
