Hearing Test in Islamabad: PTA, Tympanometry & Your Audiogram Explained
Updated: 7 days ago
Quick answer: A full hearing test in Islamabad usually combines Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), speech audiometry and tympanometry, takes about 30 to 45 minutes and produces an audiogram showing the type and degree of hearing loss in each ear. Professional Hearing Solutions performs all three tests in-house in Blue Area, Islamabad and on Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi. Test fees are confirmed when you book. Call 0332-5014111.
Reviewed and updated on 26 September 2026 by the Professional Hearing Solutions audiology team, Islamabad & Rawalpindi.
Where can I get a hearing test in Islamabad or Rawalpindi?
You can get a complete diagnostic hearing test at Professional Hearing Solutions in Blue Area, Islamabad, or on Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi. Both clinics run PTA, speech audiometry and tympanometry in-house, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Professional Hearing Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd, an authorised Signia hearing aid dealer serving Islamabad and Rawalpindi since 1999, works on one principle: no hearing aid decision without a proper audiogram. The full diagnostic suite is done under one roof, and the same PHS audiology team that tests you also explains the result and, if needed, fits the device. See our hearing assessment service page for details.
The Islamabad clinic is at Office B-9 Basement, Muhammad Gulistan Khan House 82 East, adjacent to Tehzeeb Bakers, Fazl-ul-Haq Road, Blue Area, an easy drive from F-6, F-7, G-9 and I-8. The Rawalpindi clinic is at Office 5 and 6, Ground Floor, Siraj Plaza, opposite Rasheed Nursing Home, adjacent to Gulzari Optics, Saidpur Road, convenient from Saddar and Satellite Town. First time? Read what happens at your first visit to our Blue Area clinic.
PHS has 400+ Google reviews with a 4.9-star average, fits with genuine Signia Connexx software and does not dispense Chinese copies. Our guide on choosing the best audiologist in Islamabad lists the questions worth asking any clinic.
What is the audiogram test price in Pakistan?
Test fees are confirmed when you book. Call 0332-5014111. The fee depends on which tests your situation needs, so the clinic confirms it at the time of booking rather than quoting a one-size figure.
The right set of tests differs from person to person: a retired officer from G-10 checking age-related change needs a different work-up from a young professional with muffled hearing after a cold. When you call, the team confirms the fee before you arrive.
What you receive matters more: a case history, otoscopy, the audiogram, speech testing where appropriate, a middle-ear check, and a plain-language explanation in Urdu or English. You leave with a copy of your audiogram for your records or your ENT specialist.
Test fees are confirmed when you book. Call 0332-5014111 or WhatsApp the same number. You can also email contact@professionalhearingsolution.com.
Which hearing tests are done, and what does each one measure?
PTA measures the softest tones you can hear at each pitch, speech audiometry measures how clearly you understand words, and tympanometry checks how the eardrum and middle ear move. Together they tell us both how much hearing is reduced and where in the ear the problem sits.
Hearing tests at Professional Hearing Solutions compared
Test | What it measures | Typical time | Who needs it |
Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) | Hearing thresholds (softest audible tone) from low to high pitch, by air and bone conduction, for each ear | About 15 to 25 minutes | Every adult or older child with suspected hearing loss, tinnitus or before any hearing aid |
Speech Audiometry | Speech reception threshold and word recognition score: how clearly words are understood at comfortable loudness | About 10 minutes | Anyone who says they hear but cannot understand, and all hearing aid candidates |
Tympanometry | Eardrum mobility and middle-ear pressure; also estimates ear canal volume | 2 to 5 minutes | Blocked or full ears, recent colds, suspected fluid, eardrum problems, children with glue ear |
Otoscopy (part of every visit) | Visual check of the ear canal and eardrum for wax, infection or perforation | 1 to 2 minutes | Everyone, before any test |
Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA)
Wearing headphones, you press a button whenever you hear a beep, even a very faint one. The audiologist brings each tone down until you stop hearing it and records the softest level you detect about half the time: your threshold. The test is repeated with a small bone-conduction vibrator behind the ear, which bypasses the outer and middle ear. Comparing the two separates a middle-ear problem from an inner-ear or nerve one.
Speech Audiometry and Tympanometry
Two people with similar audiograms can have very different clarity. A good word recognition score suggests a hearing aid will give clear benefit; a poor score, or a big difference between ears, sets realistic expectations and may prompt an ENT referral. Tympanometry uses a soft probe that gently changes air pressure for a few seconds. It needs no response and is especially useful after colds, flights and allergy seasons, common causes of blocked ears in Islamabad.
How do I read my audiogram?
Pitch runs left to right (low to high, in Hz) and loudness runs top to bottom (soft to loud, in dB HL). The circles (O) are your right ear, the crosses (X) are your left ear, and the lower the marks sit on the chart, the greater the hearing loss.
An audiogram looks technical, but it answers one simple question: how loud does a sound need to be before you hear it? Here is how an audiologist reads it.
Horizontal axis (frequency, Hz): low pitches such as a man's voice sit on the left (250 to 500 Hz); high pitches such as a child's voice and consonants like s, f and th sit on the right (4000 to 8000 Hz).
Vertical axis (hearing level, dB HL): the top is very soft sound; moving down means a sound must be louder before you detect it. 0 dB HL is not silence but the average softest level heard by healthy young ears.
Right ear, air conduction: a red circle (O). Left ear, air conduction: a blue cross (X).
Bone conduction: symbols such as < and > (or [ and ] when masking noise was used), showing inner-ear function directly.
A downward arrow on a symbol means no response at the loudest level tested at that pitch.
The air-bone gap matters: air and bone lowered together point to sensorineural loss; normal bone with lowered air points to conductive loss; both lowered with a gap suggests mixed loss.
A very common pattern in adults over 60 is a sloping audiogram: near-normal low pitches, dropping high pitches. These patients hear that someone is talking but cannot make out the words, especially at weddings and family gatherings. Multi-channel hearing aids suit this pattern well because they add gain only where it is missing. For more at what these patterns mean clinically, see our guide to types and degrees of hearing loss.
What do the degrees of hearing loss mean?
Audiologists often summarise the audiogram with a pure tone average (typically the average of thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000 and sometimes 4000 Hz) and then describe it using a degree band. The table below is a commonly used classification, similar to the ASHA-style bands used by many clinics. The WHO's 2021 grading uses slightly different cut-offs, so a report from another centre may use different words for similar numbers.
Commonly used hearing-loss degree bands (WHO/ASHA-style)
Hearing level (dB HL) | Degree | What everyday life is like |
Up to 25 | Normal range | Hears soft speech; may still struggle in heavy noise |
26 to 40 | Mild | Misses soft voices, whispers and speech from a distance; tiring in groups |
41 to 55 | Moderate | Frequently asks people to repeat; turns the TV up; normal conversation is hard to follow |
56 to 70 | Moderately severe | Needs raised voices; group conversation very difficult without hearing aids |
71 to 90 | Severe | Hears only loud speech close by; relies on lip-reading; needs powerful hearing aids |
91 and above | Profound | May sense very loud sounds only; power aids may help, and cochlear implant assessment is often discussed |
The PHS website also has a short overview of hearing loss levels you can share with family members who want a quick reference.
What does a tympanogram result (Type A, B or C) mean?
Type A is a normal middle ear, Type B is a flat trace that often means fluid, a perforation or a blocked probe, and Type C means negative middle-ear pressure, usually from a poorly working Eustachian tube.
Tympanograms are usually described with the Jerger classification. Your audiologist reads the tympanogram together with the audiogram and what was seen on otoscopy; it is never interpreted on its own.
Tympanogram types (Jerger classification) in plain language
Type | What the trace looks like | What it commonly suggests |
A | Normal peak at normal pressure | Healthy middle-ear movement |
As | Normal pressure, shallow peak | Stiff middle-ear system, for example otosclerosis or a scarred eardrum |
Ad | Normal pressure, very tall peak | Overly mobile eardrum or a possible break in the tiny hearing bones |
B | Flat line, no peak | Fluid behind the eardrum (glue ear), a perforation or grommet (large canal volume), or wax against the probe (small canal volume) |
C | Peak shifted to negative pressure | Eustachian tube dysfunction after colds, allergies, sinus problems or flights |
A Type B or C result with a conductive pattern on the audiogram is often medically treatable, so the right next step may be an ENT doctor rather than a hearing aid. We tell you this honestly on the day.
Why do I need an audiogram before buying a hearing aid?
The audiogram is the prescription. Without it, a hearing aid cannot be programmed to add the right amount of sound at the right pitches, and you risk a device that is uncomfortable, unclear or even unsafe for your ears.
Precise programming: at PHS every device is fitted in genuine Signia Connexx software (or the manufacturer's own software for Rexton, Audio Service and ReSound), with gain matched to your audiogram channel by channel.
Correct style and power: a mild high-pitch loss and a severe loss need very different hearing aids. The audiogram decides whether a discreet custom or receiver-in-canal model is suitable or whether a power behind-the-ear device is needed.
Avoiding over-amplification: an unprogrammed or pre-set device can make loud sounds uncomfortable and amplify pitches you already hear well.
Tracking change: a dated baseline lets us see whether hearing is stable or getting worse, and fine-tune your aids accordingly.
Medical detection: some patterns, such as a one-sided loss or a large air-bone gap, suggest a condition that needs an ENT doctor first.
Once you know your result, our hearing aid price guide for Pakistan explains how German original, Singapore-manufactured and copy devices compare, and why PHS dispenses German originals and openly disclosed Singapore-manufactured options but never Chinese copies.
When should I see an ENT doctor before a hearing test?
See an ENT doctor urgently, ideally the same or next day, if hearing drops suddenly in one or both ears, or if hearing loss comes with ear pain, discharge, bleeding, dizziness, facial weakness or a recent head injury.
Red flag: sudden sensorineural hearing loss (a noticeable drop in hearing over hours to three days, often on waking) is a medical emergency. Treatment by an ENT specialist works best when started as early as possible, ideally within days. Do not wait for it to settle on its own, and do not buy a hearing aid first.
Ear discharge, bleeding or severe pain
Dizziness or spinning (vertigo) with hearing change
Hearing loss or tinnitus in one ear only
Pulsing tinnitus that beats in time with your heart
Hearing change after a head injury, very loud blast or barotrauma from diving or flying
Weakness or drooping on one side of the face
If you arrive at PHS with any of these, the PHS audiology team will test you if appropriate and give you a written audiogram to take to your ENT specialist, but we will not recommend a hearing aid until the medical question has been answered.
How do I prepare for a hearing test, and how long does it take?
Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for a full adult assessment, avoid loud noise for a day beforehand, and bring any previous audiograms, current hearing aids and your medicine list.
Avoid loud noise (music, generators, workshops) for 24 hours if you can; temporary noise exposure can lower results.
Do not dig at wax with cotton buds. If wax blocks the canal, we will explain whether it needs removing first.
Bring old audiograms, even years-old ones, plus your current hearing aids and charger.
List your medicines, especially long injectable antibiotic courses, chemotherapy or strong diuretics.
Bring a family member; a second listener helps with the explanation and decisions.
If an elderly parent cannot easily travel from Bahria Town or DHA, ask about our home visit service. A full diagnostic audiogram is best done in the clinic, and the team will advise what can be done at home.
What happens after the hearing test at PHS?
The audiologist explains the audiogram with you and your family, tells you honestly whether you need a hearing aid, medical care or simply monitoring, and, if a device is right for you, lets you hear suitable options before you decide.
Normal hearing: we record a baseline and suggest when to retest. A medical pattern: we refer you to an ENT doctor. A hearing aid route: we discuss style, power, rechargeable versus battery, Bluetooth and budget, then fit and programme the device against your audiogram, with fine-tuning visits over the first few weeks. Most adults with age-related loss do better with two hearing aids, because both ears help with direction and understanding in noise. Book through our hearing assessment page or call 0332-5014111 to choose Blue Area, Islamabad or Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an audiogram or hearing test cost in Islamabad?
Test fees are confirmed when you book. Call 0332-5014111. The fee depends on which tests you need, such as Pure Tone Audiometry alone or a full assessment with speech audiometry and tympanometry. When you call Professional Hearing Solutions, the team asks a few quick questions and confirms the fee before you come in, so you know exactly what to expect at the Blue Area or Saidpur Road clinic.
What is a PTA test?
PTA stands for Pure Tone Audiometry. You wear headphones and respond each time you hear a beep, from low to high pitch, usually between 250 and 8000 Hz. The softest level you hear at each pitch is plotted on an audiogram for each ear. PTA also uses a bone-conduction headband to check the inner ear directly, which helps tell whether hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural or mixed.
What do O and X mean on my audiogram?
On a standard audiogram, a red circle (O) marks the right ear and a blue cross (X) marks the left ear for air-conduction testing through headphones. Symbols such as < and > or brackets show bone-conduction results. The lower the symbols sit on the chart, the louder a sound had to be before you heard it, which means a greater degree of hearing loss at that pitch.
Sunne ki machine lene se pehle hearing test zaroori hai?
Yes. A hearing aid (sunne wali machine) is programmed from your audiogram, just as glasses are made from an eye prescription. Without a test, the device cannot add the right amount of sound at the right pitches and may be uncomfortable or unclear. The test also catches problems that need an ENT doctor first, such as fluid behind the eardrum or sudden hearing loss.
How often should I get my hearing tested?
A sensible routine for adults over 50 is a hearing test every two to three years, or sooner if family members notice you missing speech. Hearing aid users are usually retested about once a year so their devices can be re-programmed as hearing changes. Anyone with a sudden drop in hearing, new one-sided tinnitus or dizziness should be seen urgently, not at the next routine check.
Can children have a hearing test at PHS?
Older children who can respond reliably to sounds can usually have Pure Tone Audiometry, often as a listening game, along with tympanometry to check for glue ear. Newborns and very young babies need specialised screening tests such as OAE or ABR, which are done at hospital or ENT centres. PHS then supports families with paediatric hearing aid fitting, ear moulds and follow-up programming.
Book Your Visit at Professional Hearing Solutions
Professional Hearing Solutions has served patients in Islamabad and Rawalpindi since 1999 as an authorised Signia hearing aid dealer, with 400+ Google reviews and a 4.9-star average. Book a hearing assessment or a hearing aid consultation at either clinic.
Islamabad (Blue Area): Office B-9 Basement, Muhammad Gulistan Khan House 82 East, Adjacent to Tehzeeb Bakers, Fazl-ul-Haq Road, Blue Area, Islamabad
Rawalpindi (Saidpur Road): Office 5 & 6, Ground Floor, Siraj Plaza, Opposite Rasheed Nursing Home, Adjacent to Gulzari Optics, Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi
Call / WhatsApp: 0332-5014111 · Landline 051-8350153
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Email: contact@professionalhearingsolution.com
