Comprehensive Hearing Tests

When conversations become harder to follow, or people seem to be mumbling, it can be difficult to know whether your hearing has changed. A professional hearing test can provide clearer answers.

Total Hearing Centre offers hearing tests at locations across Ontario. We take the time to listen to your concerns, assess your hearing, and explain the results in language that is easy to understand. If additional hearing care may be helpful, we will walk you through the available options without pressure.

What Is a Hearing Test?

A hearing test is a professional assessment that measures how well you hear different sounds and understand speech. It can identify changes in your hearing and help determine how those changes may be affecting everyday communication.

A hearing assessment is not simply a pass-or-fail test. Your results provide information about the sounds you can hear, the sounds you may be missing, and whether one ear hears differently from the other. Your hearing care professional will also consider your symptoms, listening environments, medical history, and personal concerns.

Together, this information creates a clearer picture of your hearing health and helps guide the next steps.

When Should You Have Your Hearing Checked?

Hearing changes often happen gradually. You may adjust without realizing how much extra effort you are putting into conversations.

It may be time to book a hearing exam if:

People seem to mumble or speak too quietly
You frequently ask others to repeat themselves
You can hear someone speaking, but can’t make out every word
Conversations are difficult to follow in restaurants or group settings
You turn the television, phone, or radio volume higher than others prefer

You hear better with one ear than the other
Phone or video conversations have become harder to understand
You notice ringing, buzzing, humming, or hissing in your ears
Listening leaves you feeling tired or frustrated
A family member or friend has noticed a change in your hearing
You have a history of workplace or recreational noise exposure

What Happens During a Hearing Test?

Your appointment is an opportunity to talk about what you have noticed, complete the appropriate testing, and better understand your hearing. Your hearing care professional will guide you through each step and answer questions along the way.

We Discuss Your Hearing Concerns

Your appointment will begin with a conversation about your hearing and general health history.

You may be asked when you first noticed a change, whether one ear seems different from the other, and where listening feels most difficult. It’s helpful to think about situations such as family conversations, restaurants, meetings, phone calls, television, or noisy workplaces.

Your work, hobbies, previous noise exposure, tinnitus symptoms, medications, and past ear concerns may also provide useful context.

There are no right or wrong answers. Simply describing what you experience helps your hearing care professional understand how your hearing affects daily life.

Your Ears Will Be Examined

A visual examination will be completed to check your ear canals and eardrums. This can help identify visible concerns, such as an accumulation of earwax, that could affect your hearing or the accuracy of the assessment.

If something requires medical attention, your hearing care professional can explain the appropriate next step.

Your Hearing Is Assessed

During the testing portion of your appointment, you will respond to different sounds and speech. This may include listening through headphones and indicating when you hear a sound, even when it is very soft.

Speech-based testing may also be used to assess how clearly you understand words. Depending on your needs and symptoms, additional testing may be recommended to gather more information about how your ears are functioning.

The testing is non-invasive and shouldn’t be painful. Clear instructions will be provided before each part begins.

We Review the Results With You

Your results are recorded on a chart called an audiogram. The audiogram shows the softest sounds you responded to at different pitches and provides information about your overall hearing.

Your hearing care professional will explain what the results mean in practical terms. There will be time to ask questions and discuss any concerns before any recommendations are made.

What Can a Hearing Assessment Tell You?

A professional hearing assessment may help identify:

Whether hearing loss is present
The level and pattern of hearing loss
Whether one or both ears are affected
Which pitches are most difficult to hear
How clearly you understand speech
Why some listening situations may be more challenging
Whether additional testing or medical follow-up may be appropriate

What Happens If Hearing Loss Is Found?

Finding hearing loss doesn’t mean there is only one next step.

Your hearing care professional will explain the results and make recommendations based on the type of hearing change, your communication needs, and your personal preferences. Depending on your assessment, the next step may include:

Monitoring your hearing over time
Using hearing protection in noisy environments
Trying communication strategies
Seeking medical evaluation
Discussing tinnitus management
Exploring hearing aids or other hearing technology

When hearing aids may be helpful, Total Hearing Centre can explain the available styles, features, and price ranges. We are not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer and are not limited to one brand. This allows our team to consider options based on your test results, lifestyle, comfort, listening preferences, and budget.

How to Prepare for a Hearing Test

Spending a few minutes thinking about your recent listening experiences can be helpful when preparing for a hearing test.

Consider:

When you first noticed a possible change
Which conversations or environments are most difficult
Whether hearing differs between your ears
Whether you experience tinnitus
Any recent ear discomfort or fullness
Your history of workplace or recreational noise exposure
What you would most like to improve

You may also want to bring:

A list of current medications
Previous hearing test results
Any hearing aids or listening devices you currently use
Information about relevant medical or ear-related concerns
A family member or trusted person, if their support would be helpful

You don’t need to understand hearing terminology or diagnose the problem yourself. Our team will ask questions, explain the process, and help you feel comfortable throughout the appointment.

Why Choose Total Hearing Centre for Your Hearing Test?

Experienced Hearing Care

Total Hearing Centre was established seven decades ago by local audiologists and hearing instrument specialists. While hearing technology has changed, our focus on personal service, professional guidance, and value has remained the same.

Clear Explanations

Hearing test results can be unfamiliar, especially when you are looking at an audiogram for the first time. We explain what the findings mean and how they may relate to your daily communication. You are encouraged to ask questions and take the time you need to understand your options.

Personalized Recommendations

There is no single approach that fits every patient. Recommendations are based on your hearing results, lifestyle, listening environments, comfort, preferences, and budget.
If hearing aids are discussed, our manufacturer independence allows us to compare products from multiple brands rather than recommending technology based on quotas or franchise restrictions.

Support Beyond the Assessment

Hearing needs can change over time. Total Hearing Centre provides continued guidance, follow-up appointments, hearing aid programming, adjustments, cleaning, maintenance, and repair services.

Our goal is to provide dependable support at the first appointment and in the years that follow.

Book a Hearing Test With Total Hearing Centre

You don’t have to wait until hearing difficulty becomes severe to have it checked. If sounds seem less clear, conversations require more effort, or you simply want to understand your current hearing health, an assessment can provide useful information.

Total Hearing Centre will explain the testing process, review your results, and help you understand the next steps.

Contact Total Hearing Centre to book a professional hearing test. No referral is required.