Your first visit

Each of our locations answers its own phone, so if anything comes up before your visit, you can call the location you are booked at.

We ask about your health, the medications you take, your work and hobbies, and where you notice trouble hearing, such as in restaurants, on the phone or with the TV. This helps us decide which tests you need.

Your provider then looks at your ear canals and eardrums with a video otoscope (otoscopy). This checks for earwax, irritation or anything else that could affect your hearing or the test. The picture is on a screen, so you see what we see.

You listen for soft beeps at different pitches and let us know each time you hear one (pure-tone testing). You also repeat words back to show how clearly you understand speech (speech recognition). A short pressure check shows how well your eardrum moves (tympanometry).

None of it hurts. You listen and respond, and the eardrum check is a soft tip at the opening of your ear with gentle air pressure for a few seconds.

Your results are plotted on a chart called an audiogram, which shows the softest sound you can hear at each pitch in each ear. If we find hearing loss, we talk through your options, which may include hearing aids or other assistive devices. If your hearing is in the normal range, the test gives you a baseline to compare with next time.