A hearing test provides more than just a figure that tells you how well you can hear. The findings from your hearing test will determine your treatment.
Mild Loss: Watch and Adjust
Results that indicate a mild loss are often not suitable for immediate fitting. A retest in six to twelve months may be recommended and in the meantime some adaptations to everyday life may be suggested, for example, seating yourself closer to the speaker in noisy situations or switching on the subtitles for TV programs.
Moderate Loss: Hearing Aid Fitting
A person with a moderate loss will be prescribed a hearing aid. The audiogram will be used by the audiologist to select an appropriate style of hearing aid and to program the aid to suit the individual’s individual hearing loss. The aid will be set to boost the individual frequencies that the person is most losing, rather than simply amplifying all frequencies.
Asymmetric or Single-Sided Loss
An asymmetric or single-sided hearing loss is often referred to for further investigation as it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Sloping Versus Flat Audiogram
A sloping audiogram is very different to a flat audiogram and would require a different hearing aid and settings to a person with a flat audiogram.
Normal Hearing With Symptoms
Your results will show whether you have a hearing loss and how severe it is. Importantly, your results will also show whether you have tinnitus and how you process sound. The results of your hearing test in Bristol will guide your treatment and as stated in the NICE guidelines on hearing loss in adults, your audiological findings will determine your treatment for your hearing loss.
Hearing Test Bristol is covered in more detail at www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/bristol.
Knowing what your results mean will help you ask the right questions and ensure you are taking the correct course of action.
