Hearing Testing in Dallas, TX
Hearing loss can be gradual and difficult to notice until it’s advanced. That’s why we recommend having your hearing screened once a year — not only does it catch changes in your hearing early, it can also uncover early signs of other health issues.
Who Should Get a Hearing Test?
You should get a hearing test if you find yourself:
- Straining to hear conversations
- Asking family and friends to repeat themselves often
- Missing lines in movies or at the theater
- Listening to the TV at a level so loud that others complain
- Turning the volume up all the way on your phone
What Will a Hearing Test Show?
Hearing tests measure your ability to hear different frequencies at different volumes. They can also measure things like pressure behind the ear to see if there is fluid behind the eardrum. When you’re finished, you’ll get an audiogram, which is a printout of your test results. If it turns out you need hearing aids, the audiogram helps us program your hearing aid to your specific hearing loss, similar to getting a prescription for eyeglasses.
What Happens During a Hearing Test?
Your hearing is an important part of your overall health. Because hearing loss is often related to other health issues, we’ll begin by reviewing recent changes to your health. We’ll also ask a number of questions about where you notice you are struggling to hear — your answers give us clues as to what kind of hearing loss you’re experiencing and how to best treat it.
We’ll also take a look in your ears to make sure there isn’t any earwax blocking the canal and to look for signs of infection. Depending on what this initial evaluation uncovers, we may opt to do additional hearing tests, including:
Audiometric Test
Can you hear sounds but have trouble making out what people are saying? This test determines how well you hear different tones and how well you’re able to hear words. We’ll say words that are commonly misunderstood and ask you to repeat them. The results show hearing loss as a percentage and are a good indication of whether hearing aids will work for you.
Tympanometry
This test gently changes the ear pressure to check how well your middle ear is functioning. If your eardrum is able to move freely and the conduction of bones appears normal, it’s a sign that your hearing loss isn’t caused by things like an infection, congestion, or an obstruction.
How to Read Your Hearing Test Results
Your hearing test results come to you as a chart called an audiogram. Along the left side is volume, measured in decibels. Along the bottom are frequencies. Laying it out on a chart lets you see clearly whether you have hearing loss at higher or lower frequencies and how severe it is (don’t worry, we’ll walk you through this). If you can’t hear a sound until it’s at least 30 decibels, you have some hearing loss — the louder a sound has to be before you hear it, the more severe the loss.
Comprehensive Hearing Tests We Offer in Dallas, TX
A hearing evaluation at McLean Hearing Center can include several different tests, each measuring a different part of how you hear:
Pure-Tone Audiometry
The standard test used to measure the softest sound you can hear at each frequency, from low pitches to high. It’s the foundation of your audiogram and the starting point for every hearing evaluation.
Speech Testing
Measures how clearly you can hear and repeat back words at a comfortable volume — telling us not just whether you can hear sound, but whether you can understand speech.
Tympanometry
Gently changes the pressure in your ear canal to check how well your eardrum and middle ear are functioning, helping rule out fluid, infection, or other non-hearing-loss issues.
Otoscopy
A quick visual exam of your ear canal and eardrum with a lighted instrument called an otoscope, checking for earwax buildup, infection, or structural issues before testing begins.
Bone Conduction Testing
Uses a small vibrating device placed behind the ear to test how sound travels through bone directly to your inner ear, helping pinpoint exactly where a hearing loss is coming from.
What Happens After Your Hearing Test?
Once your hearing test is complete, we’ll walk you through exactly what your results mean and what we recommend next:
- Results Review — a clear, plain-language explanation of your audiogram and what it shows
- Diagnosis — if hearing loss is present, we’ll explain the type and severity in terms that make sense to you
- Personalized Recommendations — based on your results and lifestyle, we may recommend hearing aids, a referral to a physician, or simply preventive care
- Treatment & Next Steps — if hearing aids are recommended, we’ll guide you through fitting, follow-up visits, and ongoing adjustments
- Long-Term Hearing Care — regular check-ups to make sure your hearing, and any hearing aids you wear, stay in top shape over time
Our goal isn’t just to test your hearing — it’s to help you hear better for life.
Reviewed by the audiologists at McLean Hearing Center
Still have questions? Ask one of our audiologists!
Don't Wait! Early Treatment Is The Most Effective Treatment
Hearing loss tends to get worse the longer it goes untreated. Schedule your hearing test at McLean Hearing Center today and take the first step toward better hearing.