What Should You Expect From a Children’s Hearing Test?

You may wonder what to expect from a children’s hearing test. One common question is, “Will my child need any additional testing after they have the initial exam?” During the initial visit, you will be able to have your child’s ears checked by the audiologist. During this appointment, they will look at your child’s ear canal, hear the sounds in your child’s ear, and examine the inner eardrum. They will also evaluate the child’s ability to hear the sound by checking how often each ear is swiveled out of the way while looking in the eyes.

Once the initial exam is completed, you and your child will have the opportunity to go home and do some relaxing activities. 

This includes letting your child take a nap if they are tired or if nothing is pressing down on their ears. A few hours later, you and your child will have your hearing test again. The audiologist will play a variety of sounds that will simulate what your child would hear if they were to enter a room with the noise level of someone yelling or speaking aloud.

During the next part of the test, the doctor will play the same noises again, but this time louder than before. 

You and your child should sit in front of the audiologist and look over their shoulder as they ask you questions regarding your child’s hearing and how you think they may be hearing things. You should ask questions about the types of sounds your child hears and why they notice these sounds.

You will likely be asked about your family lifestyle if you have a history of noise sensitivity or hearing loss and any other factors that could be causing your child to have a problem with their ears.

If a doctor thinks there might be an underlying problem, they will likely recommend an audiogram or MRI, which are slightly more invasive but can provide very detailed information about what is going on inside your child’s ear. An audiogram uses sound waves to create a representation of the inside of your child’s ear canal. An MRI lets the doctors get a better view of the inside of the ear canal using the help of a computer. Both of these methods are used to make sure that the auditory nerves are not being damaged or influenced in some way.

Your audiologist is going to measure the electrical activity of the auditory nerves during your children’s hearing test. 

You will be asked questions about any problems you may have experienced in the past, including things like having earphones in the ear when you were a child without your parents ever let you know. The audiologist will also use a device called an audiometer to determine how well your child’s ears are responding to sounds that you are making. This is one of the most commonly used tests when diagnosing hearing issues in children.

During the exam, the doctor is going to examine your child’s ears, head, and neck to determine if they are experiencing any damage or irritation. 

They may ask you questions about your child’s habits, including things like whether or not your child wears their earphones. They may also take measurements of your child’s ears and head, including a reflex test where they pull the skin on your child’s ear and listen to whether or not there is a reflex response.

While the exam is one of the most important parts of the hearing test, many parents are shocked by the amount of information they receive during the exam. They are expected to answer a series of questions about your child’s recent lifestyle, including how often your child wears their hearing device and whether or not they drink alcohol. You are also expected to give a short description of your child’s personality and the things that you notice about him or her. Make sure to also visit https://www.audihearing.com.au/hearing-services/childrens-hearing-test/ to learn more about children’s hearing tests. 

The hearing test is ideally done once a year, so make sure that you are prepared for it. If you do not know much about hearing tests, you may want to consider asking the pediatrician for assistance or looking online for information.

Originally posted 2021-09-18 00:46:04.