Hearing Assessment

At this appointment we complete a hearing test, determine your hearing needs and consider treatment options when indicated. Appropriate for ages 4 and up.

  • Otoscopy to ensure your ears are clear of wax and to check for any abnormalities that require medical attention

  • Wax removal if required and not contraindicated

  • Tympanometry to check middle ear functioning

  • Pure-tone audiometry to determine hearing thresholds at different frequencies

  • Speech testing to assess your ability to discriminate words in quiet and noise

  • Report with recommendations provided to you and your family physician

$120

Hearing Screening

If you’re not concerned about your hearing, but would like to have a hearing test, a hearing screening is a great starting point. Appointment includes:

  • Review of case history

  • Standard otoscopy

  • Pure-tone audiometry to determine hearing thresholds at different frequencies

  • Report with results

$90

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can make it sound like people are muffled or mumbling when they talk. It can also make it feel like you’re missing certain soft sounds, such as the floors squeaking or the clock ticking. With greater hearing loss, you might miss even more sounds, such as the phone ringing or an alarm going off.

The ear is composed of three sections: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Sound needs to travel through all three parts of the ear so that you can hear it. Click the “+” signs to read more about the different kinds of hearing loss.

  • A sensorineural hearing loss is the most common kind of permanent hearing loss. It occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve that transmits sound to the brain. A sensorineural hearing loss is commonly caused by aging (“presbycusis”) and/or noise (“noise-induced hearing loss”).

  • A conductive hearing loss occurs when sound does not travel normally through the outer and/or middle ear. It can be either temporary or permanent. Common causes include ear wax and middle ear infections.

  • A mixed hearing loss is the term used to describe a hearing loss that is both sensorineural and conductive in nature. This means that sound is not being transferred normally through the outer or middle ear AND there is damage to the inner ear or auditory parts of the brain.

Causes of Hearing Loss

  • Aging (“presbycusis”)

  • Noise exposure (“noise-induced hearing loss”)

  • Genetic condition or predisposition

  • Head injury

  • Acoustic neuroma

  • Ototoxic medications

  • Occluding ear wax

  • Middle ear conditions (such as middle ear infection, cholesteatoma, or otosclerosis)

  • Ménière’s Disease

Learn more about causes of hearing loss.

Signs of Hearing Loss

  • Frequently asking for repetition

  • Concerns that people are mumbling

  • Difficulty hearing high-pitched environmental sounds, such as birds singing

  • Difficulty understanding women or children’s voices

  • Turning up the volume on the TV or radio

  • Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, or other noises in your head)

  • Difficulty hearing in groups and crowds