5 Types of Hearing Tests
Hearing tests are crucial, not just for those experiencing hearing issues, but for everyone. It gives you insights into your hearing ability and whether you have suffered hearing loss over time. You are tested with the softest sounds that are produced at varying frequencies, helping your ENT doctor in Navi Mumbai determine your hearing ability. The test is recommended for people of all ages, including newborns. In this post, we’ll walk you through the 5 types of hearing tests, how they work, and who should consider them.
5 Types of Hearing Tests
1) Pure-tone Audiometry
The most commonly performed and non-invasive hearing test is the pure-tune audiometry, which helps assess your hearing ability for different tones and volumes. For this test, you’ll enter a soundproof booth with your headphones on.
Every time you hear the sound of a beep or any specific tone, you will press the yes button or raise your hand to notify the audiologist that you’ve heard it. The test is mainly preferred for adults and children above five years. It helps detect hearing loss due to aging or other health conditions.
2) Speech Audiometry
Speech audiometry is another popular test used to detect your ability to hear spoken words at different volumes and repeat them. You will put on your headphones and listen to the speech. You are then asked to repeat what’s said. The test helps assess the most comfortable volume for you and whether you are able to hear the softest sounds accurately. It can be conducted in a peaceful, quiet setting or a noisy room that shows how well you can hear the speech with the background noise.
3) Tympanometry
Tympanometry is another common test used to determine middle ear function. Your healthcare provider will gently insert a device into your ear canal and use air pressure at varying levels to check how well your eardrums respond.
Your eardrums must move freely to ensure that they carry the sound to the inner ear flawlessly. The test also detects wax buildup, fluid buildup, or eardrum perforations, which could possibly affect your hearing ability.
4) Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)
This test measures the response of your inner ear to the sound produced at different frequencies and tones. A probe is inserted into your ear canal and is used to stimulate cochlea to see how it responds. Otoacoustic Emissions are most commonly used to rule out the fluid up, ear blockage, and damage to the cochlea as the reasons for your hearing loss.
5) Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
Commonly preferred for infants and young children who are not in a state to respond to other hearing loss tests, Auditory Brainstem Response assesses your auditory nerve’s response to the sound. It’s the easiest and non-invasive method to diagnose nerve-related hearing issues.
Conclusion
Depending on the cause of your hearing loss and the areas affected, your audiologist will recommend a suitable hearing loss treatment in Navi Mumbai. The treatment is determined based on the underlying cause. For instance, if it’s due to the ear canal blockage, an ENT specialist will remove the wax to help restore your hearing ability.
