Diagnostic Hearing Tests 

The assessment will start with a complete review of your medical history.

You can complete the history form prior to your appointment with us.

The history will include past and current medical conditions, medications, surgeries (especially those of the head and neck) as well as any chronic medical conditions as many conditions are affected by your hearing ability and/or cause hearing and balance problems. You will be asked about your hearing ability and onset of hearing loss symptoms, to include tinnitus and we will discuss any dizziness or imbalance symptoms you may have. This medical history assessment can help the audiologist direct the amount and type of testing that will need to be completed.

An otoscopy is an otoscopic examination of the outer ear and the ear canal. This procedure is painless and gives good information regarding the health and condition of your external ear anatomy.

Tympanometry will measure how well your eardrum and the bones attached to it moves. ‘Acoustic reflex’ measurements will use several fast, high loudness sounds to get the middle ear tendons to contract and cause the reflex.

This test will help the audiologist how well sound is being transmitted through the eardrum and into the inner ear.

During this test, you will have earphones placed on or in your ears and you will receive instruction on what things you will listen for and respond to. The audiologist may have you repeat a list of familiar, everyday words at a comfortable listening level and a loud listening level. You may also be required to repeat sentences that are presented with background noise. You will then be asked to respond to pulsing tones of various frequencies to determine the level where you can barely detect the presence of the tones. These tones or frequencies represent much of the sounds you hear in your everyday listening situations.

All of the testing that is completed is used to help diagnose your hearing problems and will be used to help direct the management and treatment of your loss, if a loss is identified. All of the testing performed will be medically necessary and if there is any indication that a medical referral is needed, the audiologists at Potomac Audiology will help you understand the referrals.