Should I Get a Hearing Test in Stuart, FL?
If you’re not sure whether it’s time for a hearing test, here are some signs worth paying attention to:
- Difficulty hearing new acquaintances or unfamiliar voices
- Needing the TV or radio louder than others prefer
- Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
- Ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
- Trouble following conversations in noisy environments
- Missing everyday sounds, like a doorbell or phone ringing
- Difficulty understanding people on the phone
- Relying on lip-reading to keep up with conversations
- Withdrawing from social situations because conversations feel exhausting
If any of this sounds familiar, call Independence Hearing at (772) 248-4172 and make an appointment for a hearing test with one of our doctoral-level audiologists.
What Happens During Your Hearing Test?
A comprehensive hearing test is painless, non-invasive, and typically takes less than an hour. Our doctoral-level audiologists, Kirsten Atwood, Au.D., CCC-A, Brenda Lasky, Au.D., and Norma Rivera Guttman, Au.D., will walk you through each part of the evaluation, which usually includes:
Pure-Tone Testing
We measure the threshold at which you’re able to hear specific sounds by having you listen to a series of tones at different volumes and frequencies.
Speech Testing
We measure how well you hear and understand speech, including your ability to follow conversations against background noise.
A Physical Exam
We’ll also take a look in your ears to rule out simpler causes, like earwax buildup, before moving on to more involved testing.
A comprehensive hearing test can detect anything from a straightforward earwax obstruction to permanent hearing loss, so it’s a useful first step no matter what’s causing your symptoms.
Building Your Audiogram
Using your results, we create an audiogram, a chart that plots frequency (measured in Hertz, or Hz) against loudness (measured in decibels, or dB). It shows the lowest volume level at which you can hear sounds at each frequency, which is what lets us pinpoint the type and severity of any hearing loss you have.
How to Read Your Results
The normal range of human hearing spans from about 20 to 20,000 Hz. A healthy adult should generally be able to hear sounds at very low volume, roughly -10 to 15 decibels, at any given frequency. From there, hearing loss is categorized as:
Mild (26-40 dB)
Difficulty understanding quiet conversations.
Moderate (41-55 dB)
Difficulty hearing conversations at normal volume levels.
Moderately Severe (56-70 dB)
Difficulty hearing quiet conversations or ringing telephones.
Severe (71-90 dB)
Can only hear people standing next to you and speaking very loudly.
Profound (91+ dB)
Unable to hear loud speech or the everyday sounds around them.
After Your Stuart, FL Hearing Test
Once your test is complete, we’ll review your results with you in plain language, explain what they mean, and talk through your options, whether that’s simple monitoring, addressing an underlying issue like earwax, or exploring hearing aids. If cost is on your mind, visit our Hearing Aids Plans & Pricing page, or just ask us; we’re happy to walk you through it.
