Understanding Hearing Tests: What You Should Know

senior couple speaking with a hearing professional

Struggling to follow your favorite TV shows? Missing key details during meetings? Hearing loss can leave you feeling disconnected and frustrated.

At Melliti Medical Group, we’re dedicated to helping you reconnect with the sounds that matter most, starting with a comprehensive hearing test.

A hearing test is a vital step in maintaining your auditory health. Through various diagnostic techniques, it identifies the severity and type of hearing loss, as well as which frequencies are affected. Often, hearing tests detect early signs of hearing loss before you even notice symptoms.

Even if you don’t currently have hearing loss, a hearing test establishes a baseline for future comparisons, making it easier to track changes in your hearing over time. Once your results are in, we’ll create a personalized plan to address your specific needs.

Hearing Tests at Melliti Medical Group, Las Vegas, NV

We offer several types of hearing tests, each designed to evaluate different aspects of your hearing:

Audiometry

This common test involves wearing headphones and listening to tones at varying volumes and pitches. You’ll indicate when you hear a sound, helping the specialist map your hearing sensitivity.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)

By measuring how sound signals travel from your ear to your brain, this test assesses the strength of the auditory pathways. Small earbuds and electrodes are used to capture data.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)

A probe inserted into the ear canal measures the tiny sounds your ear produces in response to stimuli. If these emissions are absent, it may indicate hearing loss.

Speech Testing

Hearing tones is one thing, but discerning speech is another. During this test, you’ll repeat a list of words and phrases to evaluate how clearly you hear spoken language.

Additional tests may also be recommended based on your symptoms to provide a complete picture of your hearing health.

What Happens During a Hearing Test?

Hearing tests are typically conducted in a quiet room to minimize background noise. You’ll wear headphones and respond to sounds, tones, or speech as instructed.

Often, multiple tests will be performed to evaluate different aspects of hearing loss. Once the diagnostics are complete, we’ll review your results and discuss next steps.

What Do Hearing Test Results Show?

Hearing tests like audiometry provide detailed information about the nature and extent of hearing loss. Results are displayed on an audiogram, a graph that plots sound levels (in decibels) against frequencies.

An audiogram reveals:

  • The frequencies you can hear clearly and those you struggle with.
  • The severity and pattern of your hearing loss.

Hearing loss often starts in specific frequencies, causing dips in the audiogram. These insights help guide tailored treatment plans.

Understanding the Normal Hearing Range

On an audiogram, higher data points indicate better hearing. A normal hearing range typically includes sounds below 25 dB, such as rustling leaves or whispers. Hearing ability is classified as follows:

Normal Hearing

Can hear sounds softer than 25 dB.

Mild Hearing Loss

Difficulty hearing sounds between 25–40 dB.

Moderate Hearing Loss

Struggles with sounds under 41–65 dB.

Severe Hearing Loss

Limited to sounds between 66–90 dB.

Profound Hearing Loss

Requires sounds louder than 90 dB, comparable to a lawnmower.

Hearing loss often varies across frequencies, meaning you could have normal hearing at some levels and significant loss at others. For example, high-frequency hearing loss is common while lower frequencies remain unaffected.

Why Hearing Tests Are Essential

Whether you’ve noticed changes in your hearing or not, regular hearing tests are an integral part of maintaining your auditory health. If your hearing is normal, the results provide reassurance and a benchmark for the future. If hearing loss is detected, a hearing test creates a clear path toward effective treatment.

Take the first step toward better hearing. Schedule your hearing test today: Call 725-217-4549.