Intro to Hearing Testing

Intro to Hearing Testing: Everything You Need to Know . Getting a hearing test is the first step in an individual’s hearing health journey. Here are answers to common questions patients have about them.

Anatomy of the Ear

There are multiples different tests that an Audiologist might use in a Hearing Evaluation each one has it's own purpose in evaluating hearing loss. Here's a breakdown:

• Audiometry - is a branch of Audiology and the science of measuring hearing acuity for variations in sound intensity and pitch and for tonal purity, involving thresholds and differing frequencies.

• Tympanometry - is a test used to detect problems in the middle ear.

• OtoAcoustic Emmissions (DPOAE and TEOAE) - is a sound which is generated from within the inner ear.

• Acoustic Reflex and Decay - is an involuntary muscle contraction that occurs in the middle ear in response to high-intensity sound stimuli or when the person starts to vocalize.​

• Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (Neuro-diagnostic or Threshold) - gives information about the inner ear (cochlea) and brain pathways for hearing. This test is also sometimes referred to as auditory evoked potential (AEP). The test can be used with children or others who have a difficult time with conventional behavioral methods of hearing screening.

• Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) - is a neurophysiological assessment technique used to determine the function of the otolithic organs (utricle and saccule) of the inner ear. It complements the information provided by caloric testing and other forms of inner ear (vestibular apparatus) testing.

• Electrocochleography (EcochG) - is a technique of recording electrical potentials generated in the inner ear and auditory nerve in response to sound stimulation, using an electrode placed in the ear canal or tympanic membrane.

Starting your Hearing Health care can take multiple steps, but we want to make it as simple as possible so that we can give you the care and support you need. If you have questions or want to schedule click on the button below.

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