Hearing Testing in Ormond Beach, Edgewater and Port Orange

Having trouble following your favorite show? Missing details at work because you can’t hear in meetings? Hearing loss can leave you feeling left out. 

At Hopkins Hearing Institute, we’re committed to helping you restore your hearing starting with a hearing test.

A hearing test is an essential part of maintaining your overall hearing health. Using a variety of screening and diagnostic methods, a hearing test can accurately gauge the extent of an impairment as well as which audio frequencies are most likely to be affected. In doing so, hearing tests can effectively identify the earliest signs of hearing loss, often before noticeable symptoms have begun to manifest to individuals. 

Even when no hearing loss is present, a hearing test can provide an invaluable baseline against which future declines may be more easily detected. Once diagnostics are complete, we can determine the best course of action.

Hearing Tests at Hopkins Hearing Institute, Ormond Beach, Edgewater and Port Orange, FL

There are several different types of hearing tests available.

Audiometry:
 Perhaps the most commonly known hearing test, this diagnostic involves using headphones to listen to sounds of varying tones and volumes. When you hear a sound in your left ear, you are instructed to raise your left hand, for example. A hearing specialist will track and mark the responses.

Speech testing:
 It’s one thing to hear tones. It’s another to hear well enough to discern speech. That’s why we’ll conduct a speech test where we ask you to repeat a pre-set list of words and phrases. This will reveal whether you’re hearing speech with clarity.

What Happens During a Hearing Test?

Most hearing tests are conducted in a quiet room. You’ll be given a pair of headphones to listen to sounds, speech, or tones while a hearing specialist observes and notes your responses.

What Does a Hearing Test Show?

Generally, hearing test results will be shown via a specialized graph called an audiogram. An audiogram is a graph with two axes: sound level (in dB) and tone.  

Your hearing range will be diagrammed out on this graph. Usually, there will be several data points–one for each tone tested, plotted at the edge of your hearing range. As a result, an audiogram will show:

What frequencies you hear well and which frequencies you have a harder time hearing.

The extent and severity of any hearing loss that may be present.

Usually, early hearing loss will affect one frequency more extensively than others. It’s not uncommon, then, to have dips in one area of an audiogram.

What Is the Normal Hearing Range?

The higher your data points appear on an audiogram, the closer you are to a normal hearing range. In general, a normal hearing range is considered to be the ability to hear sounds that are less than 25dB in volume–a sound level roughly equivalent to rustling leaves or whispered words. In general, we use the following categories to define normal hearing and hearing loss:

  • Normal hearing: The ability to hear sounds 25dB and below.
  • Mild hearing loss: Sounds between 25dB and 40dB are audible, but not softer sounds.
  • Moderate hearing loss: Sounds below 41dB-65dB are difficult for you to hear.
  • Severe hearing loss: Sounds below 66-90dB are hard to hear.
  • Profound hearing loss: Sounds need to be louder than 90dB for you to be able to hear them. That’s roughly as loud as a lawnmower.

Typically, hearing loss does not occur evenly across all frequencies. Simply because your hearing is “normal” at some frequencies does not mean your hearing will be healthy in totality. It’s common to experience severe hearing loss when it comes to high frequencies, for example, but have normal hearing levels across the rest of the audio spectrum.

The Value of a Hearing Test

Whether your hearing is waning or you haven’t noticed any issues, a hearing test is an essential part of your hearing health. If your hearing is fantastic, screenings can provide peace of mind and a benchmark for future tests. And if you have hearing loss, a hearing test can provide a roadmap to the best possible course of action.

What to Expect at Your Hearing Evaluation at Hopkins Hearing Institute 

Your hearing evaluation at Hopkins Hearing Institute is a thorough, comfortable process that typically takes about an hour. Here’s what you can expect from start to finish. 

Step 1: Your Hearing History Interview Before any testing begins, one of our hearing specialists will take time to understand your hearing concerns and health background. We’ll ask about family history of hearing loss, any illnesses or injuries that may have affected your ears, medications you’re taking, and whether you’ve been exposed to loud noise at work or during activities. This context shapes your entire evaluation and ensures we’re testing for the right things. 

Step 2: Physical Ear Examination Using an otoscope, your specialist will visually inspect your ear canal and eardrum, checking for earwax buildup, infection, or any physical obstruction that could be contributing to hearing difficulty. Many hearing problems have simple causes that are identified right here. 

Step 3: Comprehensive Hearing Tests You’ll move into our sound-treated testing environment for a series of painless assessments, including pure-tone audiometry (listening to tones at varying pitches and volumes through headphones), speech testing in both quiet and noisy conditions, and middle ear evaluation to assess how your eardrum responds to pressure. Together, these produce your audiogram — a detailed map of your hearing ability across all frequencies. 

Step 4: Results and Treatment Discussion Your audiologist will walk you through your audiogram in plain language and discuss what it means. If hearing loss is present, we’ll outline your options — from hearing aids to referrals for medical treatment — and help you choose a path that fits your lifestyle and budget. There’s no pressure, just clarity. 

Good to know: Audiological evaluations are covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. Call us to verify your benefits before your visit. 

Schedule Your Hearing Evaluation in Ormond Beach

How Often Should You Get a Hearing Test? 

Most people don’t think about hearing health until something goes wrong — but by then, years of gradual loss may have already occurred. At Hopkins Hearing Institute, we recommend establishing a hearing baseline early and following a regular testing schedule: 

  • Under 50: A baseline hearing test is recommended even if you haven’t noticed changes. This creates a reference point for future evaluations. 
  • Ages 50–64: Annual testing is advisable, especially with any noise exposure history or family history of hearing loss. 
  • Ages 65 and older: Annual hearing evaluations are strongly recommended. Hearing loss affects roughly 1 in 3 adults in this age group and nearly half of those over 75 — but it’s often gradual enough that many people don’t notice the change until it’s significant. 

Signs you should schedule a test now — don’t wait for your next annual: 

  • You frequently ask people to repeat themselves 
  • Conversations in restaurants, parties, or noisy places are hard to follow 
  • You’ve turned the TV or phone volume noticeably higher than before 
  • You hear ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus) 
  • You miss words or parts of sentences even when someone is speaking directly to you 
  • Family members or coworkers have commented on your hearing 

Hearing loss develops slowly, which is exactly why regular testing matters. A hearing test at Hopkins Hearing Institute takes about an hour, is completely painless, and gives you real answers — along with a clear next step, whatever that may be. 

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