The Hearing Test

The Hearing Test

Do you experience any of these issues?

• Difficulty understanding speech when people talk
• Needing to turn up the volume on the TV, radio or music
• Asking people to repeat themselves or saying "What?" often
• Struggling to hear on the phone
• Hearing loud ringing or buzzing in your ears
• Speaking louder than usual
• Finding it hard to hear in noisy environments
• Struggling to hear high-pitched sounds like women's voices or alarms

If you have any of these problems, it's possible that you may have hearing issues.

What is a Hearing Test?

A hearing test is a process of evaluating how well your ears and nervous system function in terms of hearing levels. Typically, there are two ways to test your hearing level: through air conduction and bone conduction. This is done by conducting tests in a soundproof room.

• Air conduction testing is done by using headphones to deliver sounds into your ears.

• Bone conduction testing is done by placing a device behind your ear that sends sound vibrations to your inner ear through your skull.

Symptoms that may warrant a hearing test include:

• Ear pain
• Loud ringing in your ears
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Decreased hearing ability
• Earaches
• Fluid draining from your ear
• Difficulty understanding speech
• Exposure to loud noises at work

Tools Used for Diagnosis:

• Audiometer: Detects hearing impairments by measuring the hearing system's ability to receive and interpret sounds.
• Tympanometer: Examines the middle ear's functionality.
• Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs): Measures the reflection of sound waves produced by the hair cells in the inner ear. This is often used to screen for hearing impairments in newborns.

Types of Hearing Loss:

• Conductive Hearing Loss: When there is a problem with the middle ear that hinders the transmission of sound waves.
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss: When there is a problem with the inner ear that affects the reception of sound waves.
• Mixed Hearing Loss: When there is a problem with both the middle and inner ear that affects the reception and transmission of sound waves.

Are you curious about your level of hearing ability?

Levels of Hearing Ability:

Degree of Hearing Loss | Hearing Ability Level

Normal | 0 - 25 dB | No difficulty understanding spoken words.

Mild | 26 - 40 dB | Difficulty hearing soft spoken words.

Moderate | 41 - 55 dB | Understands normal conversation at 3-5 feet.

Moderately Severe | 56 - 70 dB | Needs loud speech to understand, and has difficulty hearing in noisy environments.

Severe | 71 - 90 dB | Can hear high-pitched sounds within 1 foot, but cannot understand them.

Profound | 91+ dB | Cannot hear even very loud sounds.

A normal conversation is typically around 40-60 dB.

Treatment and Prevention:

• Medications
• Surgery
• Hearing aids
• Wearing soundproofing devices such as earplugs/earmuffs when exposed to loud noise
• Avoid prolonged exposure to loud noise

If you experience hearing problems, it will undoubtedly affect your daily life. Don't let your ears deteriorate before their time. It is recommended to have your hearing checked at least once a year.

Best wishes from EENT Department, Vibhavadi Hospital