What Kinds Of Hearing Tests Are Available?

Hearing tests are carried out but audiologists and should a person think that they

are losing their hearing then they should try to get tested as early as possible. They will be able to diagnose any problems and will look to try and find the causes.

Hopefully by the end of this article you will have a better understanding of the different tests that you can expect at a visit to an audiologist.

An audiologist will certainly want to know about your medical history. Questions concerning your employment history are also likely and you will need to explain what sounds you have been exposed to whilst you were doing different jobs.

You will be asked to give details of any illnesses and injuries that you have suffered that could have affected your hearing.

Because some hearing conditions can be genetic you may be asked if any other family members do or have suffered from hearing loss. Nearly all hearing tests will involve the audiologist looking inside your ears with an instrument called an otoscope.

The otoscope allows them to see the inner ear so they can check the patient's eardrum for any visible signs of abnormalities.

The audiologist will more than likely perform an audiogram which is an examination that is normally done in a sound proofed room. In the room you will be given audio headphones to wear.

Tones are played in both ears through the headphones and a record is kept of the lowest tones that the patient can hear in each ear. Most school children receive a similar test when they first start school. The audiologist will perform an examination based on the same principles but the equipment they used is likely to be more advanced.

You will probably have another test called a tympanometry, which is when a pressure probe is placed in the middle ear. The pressure probe gently increases and decreases the air pressure whilst a tone is played.

The tympanometry is carried out to see whether there are any disorders or the presence of fluid inside the ear.

You may have a test that uses a tuning fork to check the level of hearing loss. The tuning fork causes the patient's middle ear to vibrate if placed near the ear.

Next, the vibrations from the tuning fork travel to the inner ear by placing it against the bone behind the ear. Next the audiologist will ask whether one of the tones appeared louder than the other. The location of any hearing loss can be determined with the tuning fork test.

It is possible to locate the cause of any hearing loss through a site of lesion test. This test is used to compare the level of hearing in the patient's ears whilst other noises are detected. The equipment used for an audiogram will also be used for the site of lesion test but audiologist will collect a different set of results.

Other medical tests may be recommended by the audiologist to determine whether any other medical conditions may be causing the hearing loss. Taking a special x-ray of the brain and inner ear can allow the nerves associated with hearing to be examined.

To be able to give the best treatment sometimes a number of test results will be used to diagnose the cause of the patient's hearing loss. Thanks to improved treatments and accurate diagnosis many patients can go on to achieve better hearing and lead a better quality of life.

by: John Chambers

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