Treatment Using An Audiometer And Other Techniques In Audiometry

By Marissa Velazquez


Hear loss is determined using an audiometer. This equipment has calibrations which help in attaining optimal results. During an examination, the patient is ushered into a quiet room which is supposed to be soundproof. The audiologist places headphones on the patients ears to relay sound from the machine to the patient. Any interruptions like movement by the patient, can affect the results negatively.

The headphones are connected to a machine that produces tones under various frequencies or pitches and at different intensities or levels. The audiologist requires you to respond by rising of your hand whenever you hear a sound. This has to be done in a way that he understands when one side of the ear is not alright by raising the left hand if the left ear is okay and the same for the right ear and hand. Some professional however, provide a button that you can press. The results produced are then analyzed and recorded on an audiogram.

There are many conditions that can cause a person to lose his ability to hear. Acoustic neuroma is one of such conditions. This is a slow growing tumor on the cranial nerve which is responsible for hearing and balance. Apart from hear loss it also causes facial paralysis.

A damaged eardrum or ossicle can cause conductive hearing loss. Damaged vestibulocochlear nerve can result to Sensorineural hearing loss. Sometimes a person can experience buzzing sounds which are also called tinnitus. Vertigo is another condition if not managed properly can result to hearing loss.

Audiometry is comprised of many tests which are done according to the age and the type of test. The principle which is used to check for hear loss on a newborn baby is the same as that used on an adult the only difference is the way of doing it. Babies cannot report when there is a problem with their ears and they require special equipment to test them. It is important to test a baby when asleep to avoid interruptions.

To test babies, the audiologist uses an otoacoustic emission test. This test is fast, simple and the child does not feel any pain. A tiny earpiece which contains a microphone and a small loudspeaker is securely placed in the ear. The loudspeaker produces clicking sound inside the ear which is passed to the cochlea. A well functioning cochlea responds by resending the sound to the ear canal which is heard by the microphone.

A case where no sound is heard could mean an hearing problem though other factors have to be ruled out. These factors can be an unsettled child, a noisy room or even the presence of some fluid in the ear after birth. The test has to be done several times and if not satisfactory another more sensitive test called automated auditory brainstem response is done. Both tests have to be done when the child is asleep to avoid interruption.

A technique called reinforcement audiometry is used to test young children. This test uses speakers as the sound outlet. The child is required to respond by confirming the location of the speaker when he hears the sound. This is done repeatedly at different frequencies. Adults and much grown children are tested using a technique called pure tone audiometry where an audiometer is used to produce sound which is relayed to the headphones at varied intensities and frequencies.




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