testing
Hearing EvaluationsAdult Hearing Evaluations
Your hearing evaluation will be performed by a nationally certified Doctor of Audiology who is licensed by the State of IL. It will be completed within a comfortably spacious, sound-treated room, constructed to eliminate almost all sound from outside the space.
Your testing will be conducted using insert-style, foam ear plugs that actually go inside your ear canal, rather than the heavy, tight ear muffs that are traditionally used in other facilities. These pliable earplugs mold themselves to the shape of your ear canal, making for a more comfortable test experience and giving us more accurate results to work with. While wearing these plugs, you will be asked to respond to tone sounds as well as words.
Beyond this traditional evaluation, there are also tests to evaluate the ear for signs of allergy, ear infection and acoustic reflexes, as well as measuring the strength of the signal being sent from the ear to the brain. These tests all will require the insertion of a silicone ear plug into the ear canal. For some tests, you may feel some pressure in the ear (like flying on a plane) and for others, you will hear sounds. These tests require you to be very still and quiet, but only for a few minutes.
Evaluating Your Child’s Hearing
Our audiologists know the challenges of getting children to cooperate at times. The use of special, interesting techniques helps to encourage them to comply with the test procedure. Younger children will typically appreciate being accompanied by a familiar adult. We recommend that siblings not accompany you and your child to this appointment as they may cause distractions which will deter this procedure and prevent us from getting the most accurate results from your child’s evaluation. For their safety and the consideration of others, children may not be left unaccompanied in the waiting area.
How Much Time to Allow
For both adult and youth evaluations, the complete process from understanding your concerns that brought you in today, comprehensive evaluation, and review results is typically completed in 30 min.
TESTS
Signs of a Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. It can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. All of this can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous. Here are a few signs that you might have hearing loss.
Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy room?
Do you have more trouble hearing women than men?
Do you ask others to repeat themselves?
Do you avoid going out because you’ll struggle to hear?
Do you notice any ringing or buzzing sounds in either ear?
Hearing Loss FAQ
About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
Who is more likely to experience hearing loss, men or women?
Who is the typical person suffering from tinnitus?
What percentage of American adults report hearing loss?
Is there a connection between hearing loss and age?
How does exposure to loud noise impact your hearing?
Your First Visit
What to expect during your first visit.
Don’t be nervous. A hearing evaluation is a painless procedure. We’ll ask a few questions. Take a look inside your ear and perform a battery of tests. The test will include listening to a series of tones and a list of words. At the completion of the test, we’ll provide you with an explanation of the results and a list of recommendations. The entire
Hours
Office Hours
Park Ridge
Mon - Fri 9:00am - 5:00pm
Buffalo Grove
Mon - Fri 7:30am -3:00pm
Hearing Aid Walk-In Clinic
Park Ridge
Mon - Fri 10:00am - 11:00am
Buffalo Grove
Times Vary, Please Call For Details