HEARING TESTS, AUDIOMETRY, TYMPANOMETRY, AND VESTIBULAR FUNCTION TESTS.

AUDIOLOGY
It

is the study of science of hearing and includes all aspects of, Acoustics Physiology of hearing Disorders of hearing Functional examination & assessment of hearing Education & rehabilitation of deaf (including hearing aid & cochlear implant)

Audiology helps,
To

assess the degree of hearing loss The type of hearing loss The site of the lesion producing the hearing loss The impact of the hearing loss on speech development To provide the guide lines about the plan of rehabilitation of deaf

Functional Examination of hearing (Hearing Assessment)

Clinical

tests Audiometric tests

Clinical tests Voice & whisper test Tuning fork tests

Audiometry:
1)
2) 3)

Subjective audiometry Pure tone audiometry Bekesy audiometry Speech audiometry

Objective audiometry
Impedance audiometry 1) Tympanometry 2) Intraaural reflex measurement B. Evoked Response Audiometry 1) Electrocochelography 2) Brainstem ERA (BER) 3) Cortical ERA 4) Post auricular myogenic responses
A.

Clinical Tests For Hearing

1.

2.

Voice and whisper test Tuning fork tests.

Tuning Fork Test. A. Rinnes test B. Weber test C. ABC test

Available tuning forks

128

Hz 256 Hz 512 Hz 1024 Hz 2048 Hz 4096 Hz

RINNES TEST:
Principle: Essentially it compares (the auditory acuity) of air conduction with the bone conduction of an ear. Procedure: ........ Interpretation: 1.AC>BC (R+) Normal hearing 2.AC>BC (R+) SNH loss 3.AC<BC (R-) Conductive hearing loss 4.AC----Not heard----But BC is heard----(False R-) (the opposite ear has to be masked to confirm or otherwise D E)

Tuning Forks 128Hz 256Hz 512Hz 1024Hz

R-ve R-ve R-ve R-ve R-ve

Approximate hearing loss >10dB >15dB >20dB >25dB

2048Hz 4096Hz

R-ve R-ve

>30dB >35dB

WEBER TEST:
Principle: Compares the hearing loss in the two ears Procedure: Interpretation: Normal 1) Midline, Bilat symmetrical loss 2) Head, genrally 3) Equally in both ears

Lateralized to (R) = R conductive hearing loss OR = (L) SN Hearing loss

ABC TEST:
Principle: Compares the bone conduction of the patient with that of the examiner, the latter being taken as normal. Procedure: .. Interpretation: 1. In Normal person AND Conductive deafness the ABC is normal. 2. In Sensorineural hearing loss the ABC is

AUDIOMETRY:
Audiometry is the measurement of the hearing loss with electronic device, AUDIOMETER PURE TONE (Subjective) Audiometry: Only this type of Audiometry can show that the entire system is working. AUDIGRAM: It is defined as the qualitative and quantitative graphic presentation of a hearing acuity of a person.