If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing, the next step is a hearing test. Our audiologists are here to guide you, answer your questions, and help you rediscover sounds that matter to you. It all begins with a simple hearing test.
What Does an Audiologist Measure?
- How your ears respond to loud sounds
- The quietest sound you can hear at different pitches
- How well you can hear speech
- The movement capacity of your eardrum
- What type of hearing loss you have
How Does a Hearing Test Work?
We begin the hearing evaluation by reviewing your medical history and learning about your lifestyle and specific hearing needs. Your audiologist will then examine your ear to look for any visible signs of obstruction or injury.
Your hearing will then be evaluated using a complete battery of audiometric tests. We will begin by finding the softest sounds you can hear across the range of speech frequencies. You will then be asked to repeat word lists at a comfortable listening level. Repeating these words helps us determine your ability not only to hear speech but also to understand it. Finally, we will simulate real-life environments to test your ability to hear in background noise.
When testing is complete, we review your results in detail. Our audiologists are known for taking the time to thoroughly explain what your ear exam and hearing tests reveal about your hearing health. If your hearing evaluation reveals that you’re a candidate for amplification, we’ll thoroughly explain and discuss all appropriate options. If you do end up purchasing your hearing aids through us, the cost of your hearing evaluation is waived.
With over 40 years of experience, our doctors have a wealth of expertise to share, and you’ll never feel rushed as they answer all of your questions. Our goal is to educate and empower our patients to make the best choice for their hearing needs.
Hearing Aid Consultations
At Cedar Rapids Hearing Center, we carry a wide variety of hearing instruments from leading manufacturers. We offer hearing aids to meet every lifestyle and budget, and we take the time to educate our patients about all of their options.
If your hearing evaluation shows that you may benefit from hearing aids, we’ll carefully review the best models for your specific needs and lifestyle. We may also review various assistive listening devices (ALDs) for additional amplification. These include TV listening devices, telephone amplifiers, alarm clocks, and warning devices to offer extra help when needed.
Our hearing aid consultations are also available for patients who purchased their hearing aids elsewhere. We can test the hearing aids’ performance and precisely adjust them to match your current hearing capacity. If you’re interested in learning about recent advancements in hearing aid technology, we’re happy to take the time to discuss this as well.
All of our hearing aids include our exclusive Complete Hearing Health Care package, which includes:
- Quarterly cleanings and adjustments
- Yearly audiometric evaluations
- Yearly hearing aid evaluations
- Three-year loss & damage insurance
- Three-year warranty
- Batteries provided for the life of the hearing aids
Why Seek Treatment for Hearing Loss?
Meeting with an audiologist and determining the best course of action has many benefits. A few of them are:
- Improved physical and mental health
- Better relationships with family and friends
- Increased connection to the world around you
Improved Physical and Mental Health
Treating hearing loss can have a variety of positive side effects on your health.
- Hearing aids decrease listening fatigue, increasing energy
- Hearing aid use has been linked to a reduced risk of falls.
- Hearing aid use can improve working memory performance in adults.
- Hearing aid users have reported lower levels of loneliness and greater emotional support following device use. Hearing aids improve social engagement/activity amongst adults with hearing loss.
Better Relationships with Family and Friends
With help from an audiologist, you’ll be able to understand your family and friends better. Gatherings will be more enjoyable when the conversations flow easily.
Increased Connection to the World Around You
Imagine hearing birds chirping outside, laughter from your children or the call at the plate. Seeking treatment from an audiologist can help make sounds, big and small, part of your daily life.
Take That Next Step
The results of your hearing test, shown on an audiogram, will also help determine the course of action for your treatment plan. Each person is unique, with different hearing needs and listening environments, which means the next steps vary from patient to patient.
Though hearing aids are the most common treatment, each device’s technology and style are different. Your audiologist will work with you to find the model that works best for you, fit it and provide ongoing support.
Call Cedar Rapids Hearing Center for more information or to schedule an appointment.
