Audiological Assessments in Surrey, White Rock, & Vancouver.
“They just aren’t speaking loud enough.”
“I could have sworn that’s what she said.”
“This restaurant is way too loud, no one can have a conversation!”
Do you find yourself straining to follow conversations in the bustle of Strawberry Hill or asking for repetitions during professional meetings on Broadway?
Because auditory decline is often a gradual narrowing of your Audiological health—diminishing your Dynamic Range imperceptibly over time—it is difficult to self-diagnose when a professional intervention is required. Establishing a true Clinical baseline is the first step toward reclaiming clarity, whether you are navigating the coastal winds of White Rock or the fast-paced transit corridors of Newton.
Do I Need a Hearing Test?
Do you have to constantly ask people to repeat themselves?
Do you have arguments over whether you misheard someone?
Do other people complain you have the TV or radio too loud?
Has someone suggested you go for a hearing test?
Are you straining to hear others at parties, in meetings, or other groups?
Do you have trouble hearing on the phone?
Do you have trouble hearing conversations in noisy environments?
If you answered yes to several of the questions above, you should probably have your ears tested and go for a full hearing evaluation.
How Often Should I Get a Hearing Test?
Whether you are navigating a quiet conversation or a high-noise environment, your auditory health is the foundation of your connection to the world. Because shifts in hearing are often gradual, it is recommended that adults undergo a comprehensive audiological evaluation every one to three years.
This timeline is determined by your initial results; generally, more significant changes in auditory health require more frequent clinical monitoring. Regular diagnostic assessments ensure that your prescription remains precise and that you maintain optimal clarity in every environment.
How Do Hearing Tests Work?
Establishing a precise Audiological profile involves analyzing both the physical and neurological aspects of your hearing. Pure-tone evaluations map your hearing thresholds at different frequencies, while speech testing measures your brain's ability to decode signals. Clinical assessments also include immittance testing to check middle ear pressure and ensure a clear auditory pathway. This objective data ensures that any future Prescription is based on total diagnostic accuracy.
Pure tone Audiometry
Pure tone audiometry is a behavioural hearing assessment that determines a person’s hearing sensitivity by measuring the softest pure tones they can hear across a range of standard frequencies for both air conduction (via headphones or insert phones) and bone conduction (via a bone vibrator). It identifies hearing thresholds at each frequency, allowing clinicians to quantify the degree of hearing loss and distinguish between sensorineural, conductive, or mixed types by comparing air and bone thresholds. The test requires patient responses to tones at various frequencies and intensities and may use masking when needed to prevent cross-hearing. Results are plotted on a pure tone audiogram, showing thresholds in dB HL across frequency, and help guide diagnosis, management, and hearing aid planning. Pure tone audiometry only measures audibility, not speech understanding or other hearing functions.
Tympanometry
Tympanometry is an objective test used to assess middle ear function by evaluating how effectively sound travels through the middle ear, rather than measuring hearing sensitivity or thresholds. It helps identify middle ear conditions such as fluid (middle ear effusion) or Eustachian tube dysfunction that can interfere with sound transmission to the cochlea.
The test is performed using a tympanometer, which consists of a probe with a sealed tip, a speaker, microphone, pressure pump, and a display interface. The probe delivers a test tone (traditionally 226 Hz in adults and 1000 Hz in infants) while the pump varies ear canal pressure. The device measures changes in acoustic admittance—the ease with which sound energy flows through the middle ear—under different pressure conditions.
Results are plotted on a graph called a tympanogram, which shows middle ear admittance (in mmho) as a function of ear canal pressure and provides insight into middle ear health.
Speech Testing
Speech audiometry is an essential part of a hearing evaluation that assesses a person’s ability to detect, recognize, and understand speech. Unlike pure tone audiometry, which measures hearing sensitivity to tones, speech audiometry evaluates functional hearing in everyday communication. It includes tests such as the Speech Detection Threshold (SDT), which identifies the softest level at which speech can be detected; the Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT), which determines the lowest level at which familiar words are correctly repeated 50% of the time; and the Word Recognition Score (WRS), which measures how accurately words are understood at a comfortable listening level. Results are reported in decibels hearing level (dB HL) and percentages. Speech audiometry helps confirm pure tone results, guide hearing aid fitting, and support effective patient counselling.
