If, at any time throughout your life, your hearing appears to be getting worse it is a good idea to get it tested by a professional audiologist. They will be able to test the level of your hearing and look to diagnose any thing that might have affected it. By the end of this article you will have a clear understanding of the different hearing examinations that are available and what to expect from a visit to the audiologist.
Expect to be asked questions concerning your medical history. They will also ask you questions concerning the sounds you hear at work for both past and present employment. The audiologist is likely to ask questions concerning any injuries you may have sustained or if you have suffered from any illnesses.
Because hearing loss can be genetic you may be asked about other family members and whether they too have suffered from hearing loss. The most common form of physical examination during a hearing test is when the audiologist uses otoscope to look inside your ears. This device allows them to see the eardrum and inner ear and so they can check for any abnormalities.
The audiologist will more than likely perform an audiogram which is an examination that is normally done in a sound proofed room. You will be asked to wear specialized headphones whilst in the room. 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. A lot of people are tested in a similar way when they were at school. The equipment the audiologist will use will probably be more sophisticated but the underlying principle is the same.
Another test called a tympanometry is likely to be carried out which involves a gentle pressure probe being placed in the middle ear. The test involves air pressure, which is increased and decreased whilst a tone is sounded. A tympanometry is used to determine whether there is any fluid or other problems that are causing any hearing loss.
It is also possible to evaluate the level of hearing loss with examinations that use a tuning fork. The tuning fork is struck and then held next to the patient?s ear which causes the middle ear to vibrate. Vibrations are then sent through to the inner ear by touching the tuning fork against the bone at the back of the patient’s ear. The audiologist will then ask the patient to say which tone of the two was the loudest. The exact location of the patient’s hearing loss can be identified by completing this test.
The audiologist is also likely to perform a test called a ’site of lesion’ test to find the cause of hearing loss. This test can allow the audiologist to compare the hearing in the patient’s ears when other sounds are detected. The same equipment is used for a site of lesion test as an audiogram but it used to collect a different range of results.
An audiologist may recommend other types of testing that is not directly linked to the hearing loss, but may help identify conditions that are contributing to the loss. One such test might be an x-ray of the inner ear and the patient’s brain to get a closer look at the nerves present.
To be able to recommend the best kind of treatment an audiologist will combine a number of different tests so as to get a more accurate diagnosis. More successful treatments have been found due to the variety of different hearing tests and many more people now go on to achieve better hearing and a higher quality of life.
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categories: hearing aids,Hearing test,hearing loss,hearing care,ear problem,hearing problem
