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Hearing test (audiometry)
hearing test · audiogram · pure tone audiometry · check my hearing
You wear headphones, listen to quiet sounds of different pitches, and give a sign when you hear them. This makes a chart of your hearing.
For hearing loss, noise or ringing in the ears, before fitting a hearing aid, or for work checkups if you work in noise.
⏱ Duration: usually 15 to 30 minutes
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- Quiet. For 24 hours before the test, avoid loud music and noise. Your hearing can drop for a while.
- Ears. Do not push cotton swabs deep into your ears. If there is a wax plug, the doctor will remove it first.
- Food. No special preparation.
What to bring
- Your referral
- Past audiograms, if you have them
- Your hearing aid, if you wear one
How it goes
- The doctor looks in your ears
- You sit in a quiet booth and put on headphones
- Quiet beeps play, in one ear and then the other
- When you hear one, you press a button or raise your hand
- Sometimes a small vibrating device is put behind your ear and the test is repeated
- Sometimes you are asked to repeat words
What you'll feel
- Nothing hurts
- The quietest sounds are barely heard. Answer even if you are not sure
Afterwards
- The result is a hearing chart, usually given right away
- An ENT doctor will explain what it means
Contact a doctor straight away if
- Hearing suddenly lost in one ear over hours or a day: see a doctor the same day
Common questions
Can I check my hearing online?
An online test gives only a rough idea. Audiometry in a quiet booth gives the exact picture.
Why is sudden hearing loss urgent?
Treatment works better if it starts in the first days. Do not wait for it to pass on its own.