Hearing Tests & Evaluations
Online Hearing Tests:
Although the following online tests are not sufficient enough to draw any conclusive results or prescriptions, they are a great starting point to us becoming more familiar with your hearing situation.
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Full Clinical Hearing Tests:
At Robillard Hearing Centres we will conduct an individual hearing assessment followed by consultation with your family physician for a prescription and medical clearance.
The hearing evaluation requires the use of an electronic instrument called an Audiometer and a sound treated room. Should a sound treated room be impractical, a special type of headset or insertion phones may be used. In order to determine the nature of your hearing condition the following audiometric tests may be performed:
Puretone Air Conduction
Selected frequencies, which represent the range of human speech, are used to measure a patient’s thresholds.
Puretone Bone Conduction
Selected frequencies are used to measure a patient’s threshold response via a signal introduced through a bone oscillator which is held against the mastoid process of the skull. The signal bypasses the ossicular chain in the middle ear and causes a vibration of the inner ear mechanism which measures the threshold response of the cochlea.
Speech Reception Test (SRT)
A series of two syllable words with equal emphasis on each syllable (Spondee Words) are used to determine the minimum level at which the patient can identify the words. Generally, the SRT measurement will approximate the average puretone threshold.
Uncomfortable Level (UCL) Test
A live or recorded speech signal is used to determine the threshold at which sound becomes annoying or uncomfortable to the patient. Although subjective, the test determines the maximum saturation sound pressure level which helps dictate the correct hearing instrument and its proper fitting.
Most Comfortable Level (MCL) Test
A live or recorded speech signal is used to allow the patient to select the level at which he or she can comfortably hear and understand speech.
Word Recognition (WRS) Test
Live or recorded speech is used to determine the ability of the patient to understand speech at the MCL level. For this purpose, a pre-selected phonetically balanced word list is commonly used.
Should it be determined that the patient would benefit from a hearing instrument, we will help you select the type of instrument that is best suited to your individual conditions.
