HEARING EVALUATION
Our In-Depth Hearing Evaluation
Your comprehensive hearing evaluation is designed to do more than simply detect hearing loss.
Using our Brain-First approach, we assess how your ears and brain work together to process sound, speech clarity, and listening effort. This allows us to identify not only hearing sensitivity, but how hearing changes may be affecting communication in everyday environments.
The goal is a clear understanding of your hearing health and the role it plays in overall cognitive engagement.
Case History
Before any testing begins, we take time to understand you.
Every hearing journey is different. Learning about your history, lifestyle, and communication challenges helps us interpret test results more accurately and tailor care to your specific needs.
During your visit we may discuss:
• Your hearing experience — when you first noticed changes and which situations are most challenging
• Medical history — ear infections, surgeries, medications, or other factors that may affect hearing
• Family background — any history of hearing loss or related conditions
• Lifestyle and environment — work, hobbies, and sound exposure in daily life
• Impact on communication — how hearing changes are affecting conversations, relationships, and overall well-being
This conversation provides important context for the measurements that follow and helps us build a complete picture of your hearing health.
Physical Exam & Video Otoscope
Before formal testing begins, we perform a physical examination of the ear.
Using video otoscopy, we examine the ear canal and eardrum with high-resolution imaging. This allows us to clearly identify conditions such as earwax blockage, inflammation, structural concerns, or other issues that may affect hearing.
This visual assessment helps ensure that testing results are accurate and allows us to recommend the most appropriate next steps in your care.
Air Conduction
Air conduction testing measures how well you hear sounds across a range of frequencies and volumes.
During this test, tones are delivered through headphones so we can determine the softest sounds you are able to hear. This helps identify hearing sensitivity and allows us to determine the presence and degree of hearing loss.
Air conduction testing is one of the first steps in building a complete picture of how your auditory system is functioning.
Bone Conduction
Bone conduction testing helps determine where hearing loss may be occurring within the auditory system.
During this test, a small device placed behind the ear gently transmits sound vibrations directly to the inner ear. By bypassing the outer and middle ear, we can compare these results with air conduction testing to better understand the source of hearing changes.
This comparison helps us determine the type and degree of hearing loss and guides the most appropriate care plan.
Speech Testing
Speech testing evaluates how clearly you hear and understand spoken words at different listening levels.
These measurements help us understand not only your hearing sensitivity, but how well speech is processed by your auditory system in everyday communication.
Your evaluation may include:
• Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) — the softest level at which you can recognize speech
• Most Comfortable Listening Level (MCL) — the volume level that feels most natural for conversation and everyday sounds
• Most Uncomfortable Listening Level (UCL) — the point at which sound becomes too loud or uncomfortable
• Word Recognition Testing — your ability to correctly repeat familiar words presented at comfortable listening levels
These results help us better understand speech clarity and guide the most appropriate care recommendations.
SPEECH-IN-NOISE (QUICKSIN) TEST
Understanding speech in background noise is one of the most common challenges associated with hearing loss.
The QuickSIN test measures how well you understand speech when competing noise is present. This assessment helps determine the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed for you to clearly recognize spoken words.
These results provide valuable insight into real-world listening performance and help guide recommendations designed to improve speech clarity in everyday environments such as restaurants, group conversations, and social settings.
cognitive screening
As part of our Brain-First approach, most comprehensive evaluations include cognitive screening using the FDA-cleared Cognivue Thrive assessment system.
This screening helps us better understand how hearing and brain function interact during listening and communication.
The Cognivue assessment evaluates several areas of cognitive performance, including:
• Memory
• Visual-spatial awareness
• Executive function
• Processing speed and reaction time
This screening is not a diagnostic test for dementia or cognitive disease. It provides a baseline measurement that helps guide discussion, supports personalized care, and allows us to monitor changes over time.
Integrating cognitive screening with hearing evaluation allows us to better understand the full picture of your communication health.
Schedule Your Brain-First Evaluation
If you are noticing changes in hearing, increased listening fatigue, or difficulty understanding speech in background noise, a comprehensive evaluation can provide important answers.
Our Brain-First approach looks beyond hearing thresholds to understand how your auditory system and brain work together in everyday communication.
The goal is simple: identify challenges clearly and develop a care plan designed for long-term hearing and cognitive engagement.