A visit to the ear doctor for a hearing test is a simple and painless procedure. Your doctor may perform voice or tuning fork tests to determine how you react to various types of sounds. The most common device used in precise testing is called an audiometer (AUD-E-OM-IT-ER). It produces sounds in any of a number of frequencies from 125 to 8000 hertz. By assessing your ability to hear each of these frequencies, a hearing specialist can determine the extent and nature of your hearing loss. If the cause is due to a specific disease or condition of the ear, it may be corrected by drugs or surgery. Otherwise, the doctor may recommend a hearing aid or other device to compensate for your hearing loss.
