Hearing loss doesn’t discriminate – it can affect any individual at any stage in life. Audiometry, commonly known as hearing testing, is a quick and simple way to monitor hearing – whether that be a screening or a diagnostic exam when a known pathology is present.  

Monitoring hearing is important as any level of hearing loss can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life. It can affect communication, social interactions, and the ability to participate in activities and hobbies. Moreover, hearing loss is connected to increased levels of dementia and loneliness. Early identification and management of hearing loss can help to prevent these negative impacts and maintain an individual's overall quality of life. Both the lives of the individual but not least also for the families and friends around. 

About 25% of individuals in the US over age 65 have some degree of hearing loss. This rate increases to 50% in individuals over the age of 75. These high rates of prevalence warrant regular hearing tests for individuals in these age groups.

Although one may not notice a hearing loss at first, it often occurs gradually over time. By scheduling regular hearing tests, individuals can identify hearing loss in its early stages and take steps to manage it before it becomes more severe. This is important for several reasons. With a milder loss, when the decline has just begun, speech understanding is likely to be intact. When hearing loss is detected and treated at this point, an individual is likely to have success with hearing aids. In contrast, in an individual with a hearing loss that has remained untreated for many years, and has progressed to a more severe degree, speech understanding may be affected, and hearing aids may not be as helpful or easy to adjust to. 

Hearing impairment does not only affect the quality of life and communication abilities, but it can also be indicative of or a result of other medical pathologies.

Regular hearing tests are important for individuals on certain chemotherapies or high-dose antibiotics as these drugs can cause hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be present when an individual has high blood pressure. Hearing loss is also a symptom of other pathologies like Meniere’s disease, acoustic neuromas, otosclerosis, and a number of other treatable ailments. 

In certain situations, it can be helpful to obtain a hearing test in the absence of a patient complaint. Individuals frequently exposed to high levels of noise, for instance in their line of work, benefit from regular hearing tests. Like age-related hearing loss, noise induced hearing loss occurs gradually.  

For noise induced hearing losses, it is especially important to catch issues early. Once a hearing loss is detected, steps can be taken to prevent that loss from continuing. For example, making sure the individual is using proper ear protection or even removing the individual from the noisy environment entirely. Not doing anything will make treatment harder and the quality of the hearing worse in the long run. 

Audiometers are specialized devices used to test and measure hearing sensitivity in individuals. They are an essential tool in the field of audiology and are used to administer hearing tests in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private hearing clinics, and schools.

Audiometers are designed to produce a range of frequencies and intensities and are often used in combination with speech stimuli to provide a comprehensive assessment of hearing ability.  

Any hearing test, whether it is a patient’s first or fiftieth, is reliant on the audiometer. Accurate hearing test results can influence a patient’s quality of life, communication, and even health. To ensure an individual receives an accurate hearing test, it is important that it is performed by professionals. It is even more beneficial to the patient for the provider to be able to track the hearing loss over time by having easy access to past results.