Hearing Screenings – Painless and Annoyance Free!

How long has it been since you had your hearing screened? The majority of states currently require newborn hearing screening tests, and many states require hearing screening for elementary school children, but only 20 states require hearing screening beyond the 6th grade. A routine hearing screening is like a medical check-up or eye exam…easy to put off, but pretty important not to as we begin to put some miles on our bodies. A hearing screening should be a part of our personal wellness strategies.

Hearing well enhances our enjoyment of life. If you are having difficulties with your hearing, a hearing screening is the first step in determining whether you may need further comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of your hearing. There is no reason to take on the stress of “getting by” with poor hearing levels that technology can vastly improve. If your comprehensive hearing evaluation determines that you need hearing devices, you can even have hearing aids that sync with your iPhone if you want them.

If you schedule your hearing screening at Chicago Hearing Care, you should know that it will be free of charge, painless, relatively short in duration (about 30 minutes) and not even annoying – nothing will be too loud or put too much pressure on your ears.

What can you expect? At Chicago Hearing Care, Dr.Ullauri will conduct your screening, not a hearing aid dispenser. She is an audiologist with many years of training and experience, so you are in good hands. Our facility is new, and the test is conducted in the best, state-of-the-art booth, using premium equipment and technology.

The screening process is as follows:

1. After you arrive, we will ask you to complete a brief medical history. Dr. Ullauri will want to know what medications you currently take, whether you are experiencing any ear pain or dizziness, and your hearing history. All of the questions you answer will help her get better idea of what is going on with your hearing. In the exam room, she will spend some time talking with you about your history and asking and answering any questions before conducting any hearing tests.

2. Next, Dr. Ullauri will perform an otoscopy on each of your ears. The otoscope is a hand-held instrument she will use to look for problems, such as whether your ear canal is clear for testing and shows no anomalies, whether you have ear wax that needs removal, whether your tympanic membrane is intact, or whether you have any medical conditions of the ear that would require further medical attention before a hearing screening is conducted. You will not feel any pain, and this part of the test takes very little time. Do not take it lightly, though. If you have any of these issues, you will rest easier knowing a highly trained expert is conducting your exam.
3. Once the otoscopy is complete, you will enter the sound proof booth for further testing. Dr. Ullauri will test each of your ears for different frequencies and pitches. You will indicate when you hear sounds by pushing a hand held button. When this part of the test is over you will find out if your hearing is within the normal range or not. If you do not hear enough of the sounds presented to you, Dr. Ullauri knows that you may have some degree of hearing loss. She cannot ascertain the type or severity of hearing loss without further testing. This is the point where a comprehensive hearing evaluation is needed to confirm whether or not you do in fact have a hearing loss. Your hearing screening is complete, and you know that you have taken charge of your hearing health in the best way possible.

You might be surprised to learn that one out of three people over the age of 60 have a hearing loss. (American Academy of Audiology). Is it time for your screening? They are a piece of cake as far as medical tests go, and hearing aid technology is pretty amazing right now. If you need them, hearing aids work great and are practically invisible.

Are you ready to schedule your quick hearing screening? Bring in your loved ones too. Call Chicago Hearing Care at (312) 643-0782. If you prefer email, you can reach us at info@35.232.203.107. We can’t wait to meet you!