Hearing care begins with a full diagnostic hearing test. You may be referred by your GP for a comprehensive hearing assessment or you can come to us because you have concerns about your hearing.
A comprehensive diagnostic hearing test will determine the status of your hearing and will identify or rule out any underlying medical conditions. We will chart your results on an audiogram, which allows us to instantly establish your hearing state and share the results with you.
If required, we can also send a written report to your GP.
Otoscopy. An otoscope is what we use to visually examine the ear canal and eardrum and check for the presence of earwax and for abnormalities inside the ear, such as the condition of the eardrum, inflammation, exostosis, or infection.
As we have seen many times over and over again, ear wax tends to build up in people's ears for lots of reasons. This means that over time it can gradually reduce one's hearing or impact on the proper functioning of hearing devices such as hearing aids or In-ear Monitors by gradually blocking the sound outlet, hence reducing their performance.
We are able to remove ear wax by suction. This is quick, easy, and the most comfortable and preferred method.
Where we find that ear wax has hardened and become impacted, we have Cerumol Olive Oil ear drops available for purchase, which is the natural way to gently soften ear wax for ease of removal.
Tympanometry measures the movement of the eardrum. It is useful in identifying the origin of a hearing loss, diagnosing ear infections or tympanic perforations and looking for other middle ear abnormalities. Acoustic reflex testing checks for a muscle contraction to loud sounds. If properly administered and interpreted, acoustic reflex test results can provide information about the function of the hearing nerve, facial nerve, and part of the auditory portion of the brainstem. It can also be used to confirm the type and degree of hearing loss.
The "hearing test" part of the assessment is called puretone audiometry. Sitting inside our sound proof hearing test booth with two-way communication, mini earphones are inserted in the person's ear canals and we ask them to press a response button to confirm every time a "beep" tone is heard.
A bone conductor may also be used, which is placed behind the ear and which transmits sound via the skull directly to the inner ear, by-passing the middle ear. The hearing test result is called an Audiogram and is used to determine the type and degree of hearing loss, if any. The Audiogram is also used to determine appropriate hearing assistance options where required.
Speech audiometry evaluates the ability to hear and to understand words at various sound levels. This test is used to confirm the audiogram and may help determine how much a person may benefit from wearing hearing aids.
After the hearing test has been completed, we will explain the results to you and give you our recommendations on the most appropriate course of action. If hearing aids are recommended, we can discuss the most appropriate solution for your individual needs, taking into consideration your hearing loss, lifestyle and budget.
At Acoustix, we don't provide free hearing tests as we take a comprehensive approach to testing your hearing, which means that you will receive a complete, independent and accurate assessment.
You may have already found that “free hearing testing” is often a sales tactic designed to try and sell you a product. Or "free hearing screening" is a pre-cursor to a full hearing test i.e. an advertising “trick” to attract new customers. We don’t do tricks at Acoustix.