Hearing Test

Hearing tests could be subjective or objective. In a subjective test, the patient’s responses are taken into consideration while in objective tests, measurements are taken with the help of various instruments

The following are some such tests:

Audiogram

Patient is made to hear sounds of different intensities through earphones. The softest perceivable sound is recorded.

Tympanogram

A pressure probe is placed into the ear canal to measure the pressure in the middle ear and identify vital information and/or problems.

Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA)

A test to help distinguish if hearing loss is in the middle ear or inner ear. In this, the response of the brainstem is measured through electrodes taped to the patient’s head.

Otoacoustic Emissions

A test to capture inaudible sounds emitted by the cochlea when it is stimulated by a sound. Individuals with normal hearing emit these sounds, whereas those with a hearing loss greater than 25-30 dBhL do not emit them.

Hearing loss can have a heavy impact on our lifestyle because we rely on our hearing abilities for our day-to-day tasks. A consult an ENT & Audiologist to rule out the cause of hearing loss. If your hearing loss is due to a problem in outer or middle ear it is medically treated either with medicine or surgery. If the problem is in the inner ear along with medicine you should use hearing aids so that your condition does not get worse. Using good-quality hearing aids will help you listen better and take good care of your hearing health. This will prevent your mild hearing loss from getting converted into moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss.