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Types of Hearing Tests



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on June 30, 2010
Types Of Hearing Tests

There are several types of hearing tests. If you experience any kind of hearing loss it is best to first visit a doctor to find out if there is any medical reason behind it.  A doctor will assess your condition; check if you have any underlying conditions like an ear infection, hole in the ear drum or blockage. Once this is diagnosed and treated, he/she will then determine if you need a hearing aid and will test you accordingly. Hearing tests may also be carried out at a later stage to see if a person’s hearing condition has improved or not. Hearing tests are actually a part of any standard ear examination. The different types of hearing tests assess a person’s ability to hear and perceive sound.

The various types of hearing tests that can be performed on a person are:-

1.    Tympanometry: The first step in a hearing test is Tympanometry. This tests the movement of the eardrum. A pressure probe will be placed in your ear. This tool changes the air pressure in the ear and also produces a clear tone. It then measures how your eardrum responds to the pressure and the tone. This test also helps to detect fluid, checks for ear infections, blockages in the Eustachian tube, and any problems in the middle ear.

2.    Audiogram: This is a hearing test that is conducted in a soundproof room. You will be given headphones through which the audiologist will play sounds or speak to you. After this, different types of hearing tests including a pure-tone test, most comfortable listening level test(MCL), a speech reception threshold test (SRT), a word recognition test(speech discrimination test) and an uncomfortable loudness level test (UCL). The softest level at which the sound can be heard is recorded.

3.    Rinne test: This involves a tuning fork and compares how sound is perceived through a mastoid.

4.    Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA or ABR): This test uses sophisticated, computerized equipment. Sounds are played in the ear and the responses are recorded from electrodes that are placed on your head.

5.    Balance tests: These are useful for people who suffer with sensorineural hearing loss. These include Electronystagmography (ENG), Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP).

6.    Weber Test: This is one of the basic tests for hearing loss and detects either unilateral conductive hearing loss or the unilateral sensorineural type. It uses a tuning fork.

7.    Site of lesion testing: This uses the same equipment as in an audiogram along with other tests to determine exactly where the problem lies.

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