It can be very normal for people to resist coming for a hearing assessment because most often, hearing decreases slowly over time and you don’t notice it.
Rather than consider that your hearing has declined, you’re more likely to accuse others of mumbling more or not pronouncing words properly. Another reason can be that people feel they are not old enough to have a hearing problem.
Friends and family are usually the first to tell you your hearing has declined. They’re usually right. But even if you find it hard to believe you might have a hearing loss, there are benefits to having your hearing tested at any age.
Benefits Of Having Regular Hearing Assessments
The biggest benefit to having a hearing assessment is to have a baseline set of data to compare any future hearing test results to and to rule out any medical causes for a hearing loss.
I recommend starting regular checks at the age of 45. If needed, the earlier hearing treatment is started, the better your long-term hearing health.
Online Or Free Hearing Tests vs. A Full Hearing Assessment
An online test is a good, quick test you can take to see if there’s any need for amplification, but that’s the only thing it will tell you. A free test works much the same way.
A free hearing screening is a quick test to see how well you hear different sounds. You either pass or fail the screening. If you pass, you do not need to do anything else. If you fail, you may need the more comprehensive hearing testing. There is no charge for this appointment.
A full test, on the other hand, will do more in-depth testing and can rule out any need for a medical referral.
Steps Leading Up To Your Hearing Evaluation
Book your hearing test with Provincial Hearing through the booking form on our website, or message us through Facebook. You can also call the office to book it. We’ll confirm your booking and ask for more information if needed.
On The Day Of Your Hearing Test
- Support: It is helpful to plan to bring someone with you to your appointment, as they will remember to ask pertinent questions you might forget to ask, and they can also provide additional information about your medical history.
- On arrival: We welcome you with a friendly smile.
Then we ask you to fill out paperwork about your family medical history and your own medical history.
- Initial chat: We go over your answers and do a more in-depth case history with you. A loved one can help answer these questions. This part can last for up to 15 minutes.
The Assessment
This test can take up to an hour, or longer, depending on the extent of your hearing loss. A written report is included.
- We do a physical examination of your ear canal to see if there are any obstructions in it such as earwax buildup. We also look at your eardrum to make sure it looks healthy.
- We test your hearing in our sound booth. A comprehensive hearing evaluation includes a full assessment of your ability to hear different pitches and tones as well as your speech understanding. We also examine and test the middle ear function. The test doesn’t hurt at all.
Results
- We get the results immediately after.
- We review the evaluation with you and explain the results.
If a hearing loss is detected after the assessment, we review your options and give our recommendations. We can also demo different types of hearing aids if the results show that hearing aids would be the best solution for treating your hearing loss.
We offer a number of choices based on your lifestyle, budget and personal preferences, and we offer different levels of hearing care packages with different warranties and payment plans. We also offer financing. We’ll do whatever works best for you.
If you don’t have a hearing loss, we’ll keep your results on file for a few years so we can compare any new test results against them in the future.
Take The First Step For Treating Your Hearing Loss
If you avoid or neglect hearing treatment, it can lead to social withdrawal, depression and even cognitive decline. So please don’t put it off!
Fill out this booking form or contact us to schedule your hearing evaluation at a time convenient for you.
Costs vary from one hearing clinic to another, but the average cost for a complete evaluation with a written report is about $85. Many insurance companies’ hearing plans cover the cost of a hearing evaluation, so call us if you are unsure of your coverage.
Our goal is to make hearing better a great choice for you and to eliminate any obstacles to you living a rich, communication-full life again. We look forward to helping you get there.
After The Appointment
If you purchase aids, we will order them and measure your ears and ear canals to ensure a good fit for your custom earmoulds, if you choose that type of hearing aid.
Then we book your next appointment for when they arrive and program and fit the hearing aids, with follow-up appointments scheduled to make sure they fit well and no more adjustments are needed.
At that appointment, we will also go over the care and maintenance of your hearing aids and answer all your remaining questions.