subject: What Happens In A Tympanometry Hearing Test? [print this page] There are many reasons for a hearing testThere are many reasons for a hearing test. Often times, individuals will have a significant problem in which they just cannot hear well. That may be due to damage of the inner ear or it could be due to an infection. Bone growths, tumors, and blockage can also cause this type of limitation on the ability to hear. When it happens, most people become worried that they will be unable to hear for the rest of their lives. That is not the case in most situations. However, screenings like the tympanometry tests, doctors can find out what is happening and why.
What Is This Test?
The tympanometry screening is one type of hearing test doctors can use to determine what is causing the loss you are experiencing. This method will help in determining if there is fluid in the middle ear. It can also tell doctors if there is perforation, or a rip, in the eardrum. In some cases, the problem is a buildup of wax along the eardrum, where you cannot reach it to remove it. This screening can also pinpoint this information as well.
During the screening, the doctor will push air into the ear canal. The air pressure will make the eardrum move back and forth, as it normally takes in sound. In doing this, doctors can determine just how mobile or easy it is for the eardrum to move. From this information, graphs are created. These grams, which are known as tympanograms, provide information about the condition of the eardrum.
What Can This Tell You?
With information from this type of hearing test, doctors can tell a variety of things about your ability to hear. It can determine if you have a stiff ear, which can make it hard to hear. You may have a tear or hole in the eardrum, which can be painful as well as limiting on the ability to hear. This test can also reveal that your eardrum is moving too much. That can also cause loss in the ability to hear. In some situations, doctors will use this test in children. It can provide information about middle ear infections in young children that may require more additional screenings and potentially surgery to improve the situation.
If your doctor says you need a tympanometry hearing test, you will just need to relax in a chair while the doctor uses a handheld device in your ear. This takes just a few minutes to do but it can provide a good deal of information to your doctor about what is happening within your ear. With this information, he or she can then offer recommendations for treatment.
