Comprehensive Hearing Assessments
Your First Step Toward Better Hearing
The biggest reason that so many people are walking around with an untreated hearing loss and a limited ability to connect is because self-diagnosing a hearing loss is very difficult.
With hearing loss often being very gradual and slow, the incremental day-to-day differences are almost impossible to notice, with no way to compare your level of hearing today to what it was yesteryear. This is why our loved ones are often the first people that notice our hearing challenges.
The problem with an untreated hearing loss is that it continues to worsen until addressed, with many people waiting several years between first experiencing hearing challenges and taking any form of meaningful action.
We’re passionate about raising awareness for the importance of regular hearing testing, with hearing loss recently listed as the third most common physical condition in the US and the World Health Organization predicting that hearing loss cases will double by 2050.
If you or a loved one is experiencing challenges with your hearing, the first step is to schedule a comprehensive hearing assessment. Start by completing the form on this page or call (907) 522-4357.
Complete the form below to schedule your hearing assessment.
What to Expect from our 8-step Comprehensive Hearing Assessment
Some avoid seeking help for their hearing loss because of a lot of misconceptions surrounding hearing tests. Regardless of your age, lifestyle, or circumstances, if you aren’t hearing as well as you used to, you can benefit from a hearing test. Even if you are not experiencing a hearing loss, a hearing test helps to establish a baseline against which future tests can be measured. To put you more at ease, here is what you can expect from a hearing test at Alaska Hearing.
1. A Friendly Conversation
2. Physical Examination of Your Ears
The first part of a hearing assessment with us is a physical examination of your ears using an otoscope. This allows us to look for blockages and inflammation as well as any ear canal or eardrum damage, which might include earwax removal before we move on to a series of tests.
3. Tympanogram
For this test, we insert a tympanometer into the ear canal. This instrument changes the pressure in the ear and then generates a pure tone. Its purpose is to measure how your eardrum responds to the different pressure levels.
4. Pure Tone Audiometry
For this test, you will be fitted with a set of ear inserts. Our audiologist will transmit a series of tones at various pitches and volume levels. You will respond to each tone you hear. The audiometer will record the volume levels for each frequency on a chart for later review.
5. Speech Reception and Word Recognition Tests
In order to test how well you hear and understand normal conversation, in ideal listening situations, we use a series of weighted words. This small subset of words uses the different consonant and vowel sounds of the English language. This allows us to measure how well your ear-to-brain relationship works so we can use this information to discuss the appropriate methods of treatment needed.
6. Tinnitus Testing
7. Discussion of Your Results
The last part of an Alaska Hearing assessment is a discussion of your results.
Our audiologist will show you the results of the information we gathered through our series of tests and explain what each set of data reveals. We will have an honest discussion with you during this time as we answer your questions, consider your lifestyle, and preferences as well as your hearing care objectives.
For those with a hearing loss, we will go over the various options available to treat your specific type of hearing loss. In some instances, you will be referred to an ear, nose, and throat doctor for treatment. Where a hearing loss is not identified, we will provide guidance for preventative hearing care suited to your occupation, lifestyle, and hobbies.
Dr. McMahan is the absolute best. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my hearing needs. She is prompt, knowledgeable and always takes the time to include me in all care decisions. I always feel like I understand what is going on and am involved in my hearing care.
Schedule a Hearing Assessment
If you’re concerned about your hearing or a loved one’s hearing, then the first step is to schedule a comprehensive hearing assessment.
Simply complete this form referencing your preferred day and time, and we’ll contact you shortly to schedule your appointment.
A hearing assessment is quick, non-invasive and we’ll be able to share the results with you immediately.
If you have a question or need any clarification ahead of scheduling, then you can call us at (907) 522-4357.
Complete the form below and we will contact you to discuss how we will be able to assist you
Patient Stories
"I enjoy so many more activities than before"
“I realized there may be a hearing challenge when I started asking for the hearing impaired headphones at the movie theater. I told myself it was to drown out the other people around me, but it was because I couldn’t hear clearly enough to make out the dialogue."
Becki G
“I’m very satisfied with the care and service Alaska Hearing provide”
“My hearing loss came in two stages. I lost the hearing in one ear due to the mumps at age 12. So I have had single-sided deafness since then. As I got older, I began to lose the hearing in my “good” ear. I have lost some of the higher frequencies. It became difficult to hear certain people speaking and I could see everyone else could hear them fine."
Larry S
"The staff at Alaska Hearing were very friendly and concerned that I understood everything they explained"
“I first thought that I may have a hearing loss when I had to have people repeat what they were saying to me. I didn’t really have any concerns prior to my appointment, as my father wore hearing aids, but I wondered what people would think about me wearing hearing aids."
Sue B
"Doctor McMahan was so kind and made us all feel very comfortable, safe, and cared for"
“My son is autistic and I was worried about how he would respond to being tested. I was very pleased with our first appointment. Doctor McMahan was so kind and patient. She got on our son’s level, explained everything calmly to him, and made us all feel very comfortable, safe, and cared for."
Cal K
“With my hearing aids, I can hear my grandkids, and my wife is a very happy woman”
“I pretty much have had ringing in my ears my whole life. I have always struggled and normally had to be looking at a person to read their lips if I was going to understand a conversation. In large groups, it was useless to try and carry on a conversation. Before my appointment, the cost of hearing aids was a real fear for me."
Joseph L
“My quality of life has drastically improved since purchasing my hearing devices”
“I was 14 or 15 years old and a teacher noticed that I was falling behind in the class discussion. She requested a hearing test and I was informed that I have a significant loss. This was devastating news for a person to receive. Before my appointment at Alaska Hearing, I was afraid I was not going to be able to get the help I needed and that cost would be more than I could afford."
Ryan H
“Now that I can hear, I am not embarrassed to get into a conversation, nor an argument, nor a discussion”
“[My hearing loss] was not immediate, but as time went on, I could tell I wasn’t hearing enough. I became less outgoing. I was in a shell. Less a part of the group. I had originally gone to a discount seller and that’s what I got, a discount set of hearing aids. At my first appointment, I was very impressed and assured they would be doing a good job."
Ronald
“I have much less ringing and I’m able to concentrate more”
“I became concerned about my hearing due to ringing in the ears. I found a comfortable setting and exceptional staff at Alaska Hearing. Now, I have much less ringing and I’m able to concentrate more. It’s a great place to go.”
James
“With my hearing aids, I can hear my family, I can hear better at work, and I feel overall less stressed!”
“I was ashamed I needed help. I am young compared to everyone else I know who wears hearing aids. Before my appointment at Alaska Hearing, I thought I would be pressured into hearing aids. I thought they would be large and noticeable."
CJW
“A hearing test is the start of reconnecting with your world”
“I suspected I might have a hearing loss when I could hear the coffee pot beep in my right ear but not my left ear. Before coming to Alaska Hearing, my biggest concern was price point value. Yes, hearing aids are as expensive as a mid-range laptop, but the benefits are worth it."
Steve M