Hearing Testing

Early detection of hearing loss leads to better outcomes—schedule your painless, professional hearing evaluation today.

Why Your Hearing Matters

Hearing is a vital part of life. It plays a part in relationships, communication, and overall well-being. Regular hearing tests can help detect hearing damage or loss early, which allows for timely interventions to prevent further damage. At Ohio Audiology Associates, we make the testing process simple, painless, and non-invasive to make sure that your long-term hearing health is protected.

While some people may overlook hearing health as a concern, it can affect every other part of your life and, ultimately, your overall well-being. Poor hearing or struggling to hear can mean missing out on important details in a conversation, avoiding social situations because you cannot communicate, or even experiencing cognitive decline due to a lack of interaction.

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Why Get a Hearing Test?

Hearing loss can begin gradually, almost unnoticeable, which means most people overlook it. Others such as family members or significant others may first notice the gradual onset of hearing loss. Some of the most common signs to watch for are:

Difficulty understanding conversations, especially in noisy environments.

Frequently asking others to repeat themselves.

Turning up the volume on the TV or phone.

Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus).

If you start to have issues, early detection can prevent things from getting worse. This leads to improved communication and a better overall quality of life. Ohio Audiology Associates recommends hearing tests for the following, even if problems have not yet been noticed.

Adults over 50 for routine screening and/or baseline audiogram.
Individuals exposed to loud noise at work or recreationally.
Individuals who have had chemo treatments or life threatening infections that required IV antibiotic treatment.
Those who have been diagnosed with memory or cognitive issues or have concerns that there may be these issues. Hearing loss can mimic memory issues; if you don’t hear something, you aren’t going to remember it.
Children and teens who may have undiagnosed hearing difficulties.

Keep in mind that you do not have to wait for a problem to occur to monitor your hearing health. Regular visits to the audiologist can catch problems early and improve your outlook tremendously.

What to Expect During a Hearing Test

We use comprehensive evaluations to provide detailed pictures of your hearing health. This process can include several steps and tests, including:

When it comes to actual testing, Ohio Audiology Associates performs a series of specialized tests to assess hearing ability. These include:

Pure-Tone Testing - Determines the softest sounds you can hear at different pitches, which is frequency thresholds
Word Recognition Test - Evaluates how well you understand speech in quiet environments, both individually and binaurally.
Speech-in-Noise Testing - Measures your ability to distinguish speech in background noise.
Bone Conduction Testing - Helps determine whether hearing loss is due to inner ear damage, sensorineural hearing loss or a conductive issue with the middle ear bones.

Understanding Your Results

Your test results will be displayed as an audiogram. This is just a visual chart that shows your hearing levels across different frequencies. Our audiologists will carefully explain the findings in easy-to-understand language as they identify whether you have mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss. If medical treatment is necessary, we coordinate with physicians or ENTs for further evaluation.

Discussion of Options

Based on the results of your audiogram, we can offer personalized recommendations for your situation. Knowing everyone has a unique audiogram, these are likely the next steps and may vary between patients. This may include things like:

Monitoring your hearing health with regular check-ups.
Custom hearing aids suited to your specific hearing loss, lifestyle and financial concerns.
Tinnitus management strategies if needed.
Cochlear implant candidacy evaluations and referrals for severe cases.
Protective strategies to prevent further hearing damage.

Why Choose Ohio Audiology Associates?

At Ohio Audiology Associates, we have years of combined expertise and a commitment to patient-centered care throughout North Canton, Hartville, Green, Massillon, Louisville, Alliance, Mogadore, Uniontown, and Canton. Our expert team, state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and comprehensive medically based approach set us apart.

Take your first step toward better hearing today, and schedule a meeting with us. You will experience personalized, professional care that puts your hearing first.

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