Audiometry Tests: For Your Hearing’s Future

Audiometry Tests: For Your Hearing’s Future

Are you worried that your hearing might be turning for the worst?

Are you scared of taking a test and learning the truth for yourself?

If you are, then maybe a little counseling might help as well as learning the fact that if you don’t get yourself tested today, you might end up losing your hearing completely.

Taking a hearing test is only a part of several tests that you need to conduct to evaluate and check if your hearing or ability to hear is okay. This is done by measuring and examining how sound is transmitted to your brain and if it gets any distractions or troubles along the way.

How sound works

Sound waves are created by the vibrations or pressures of a medium usually the air, water or something solid. Vibrations are sent out at certain speed or known as frequency and certain heights, known as amplitude. The frequency determines whether a sound will be low or high, known as pitch while amplitude dictates whether it is loud or soft, known as volume.

These sound waves then travel to the ear and are transformed to what we know in science as nerve impulses, in which they are then transmitted to the brain to be identified.

How hearing tests work

As hearing tests are conducted to determine if an individual has hearing loss, it is usually done by an audiologist in audiometry laboratories or any healthcare specialists in their office.

There are several hearing tests they may conduct and these are:

• Whispered Speech – a specialist will ask you to cover the opening of one ear with a finger while she tries to whisper a series of words behind you
• Pure Tone Audiometry – uses a machine known as the audiometer to play tones by using headphones
• Tuning Fork – this device produces sound when it vibrates and can test how well sound can move in your ear
• Speech / Word Reception – measures your capability to understand and hear any normal conversations
• OAE or Otoacoustic Emissions – usually conducted on newborns to check if they have hearing defects
• Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR) Category: Hearing Aid, Hearing Therapy – can detect sensorineural loss of hearing by the use of electrodes that are placed on the head and earlobe

Besides audiometry tests, there are other types of tests that can eventually check and detect hearing loss.

The Acoustic Immitance can check how the eardrum moves well when sound is released in the ear. Also known as the tympanometry and acoustic reflex test, this only takes about two or three minutes as it only needs to insert a small instrument in the ear canal.

Vestibular test, on the other hand, can determine if there are problems in the inner ear that can affect your balance or coordination. As the test is being conducted, you are asked to try and balance yourself through the help of certain hand and body movements.

If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription to get a proper hearing aid. We are professional hearing specialist  to offer hearing test and assessment for your hearing aid prescription.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription

https://www.hkhearingspeech.com