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Treatment Using An Audiometer And Other Techniques In Audiometry

By Marissa Velazquez


An audiometer is a special instrument used to identify and monitor hear loss and hearing disorders. It has standard calibrations which help to obtain the best results of the condition. Audiometric tests are carried out in a quiet soundproof room. Headphones are provided to the patient to place on his ears. The professional requests you to sit and remain calm.

Sound relayed from the machine to the patient is done at different frequencies and intensities. The patient is required to respond whenever he hears the sound by either raising his hand or pressing a button. The hand raised has to correspond with the side of the ear that has heard the sound. This is repeated until the sound is very faint. The reading is then examined for any abnormality then recorded on an audiogram.

For a person to lose his ability to hear, he could be suffering from some conditions and in rare cases some people are born with this problem. Acoustic nauroma is presented in form of a tumor that grows slowly in the cranial nerve. This nerve is very sensitive for hearing and providing balance. When this condition occurs it can also cause facial paralysis.

Sporting activities or accidents can damage the eardrum which in turn causes hear loss. Vestibulocochlear nerve is also very sensitive and when damaged can affect the ability to hear. Conditions like tinnitus and vertigo can also result to hear loss if care is not taken.

Audiometry is comprised of many tests which are done according to the age and the type of test. The principle which is used to check for hear loss on a newborn baby is the same as that used on an adult the only difference is the way of doing it. Babies cannot report when there is a problem with their ears and they require special equipment to test them. It is important to test a baby when asleep to avoid interruptions.

An otoacoustic emission test is most preferred to test babies. This is because the test is simple to carryout, takes a very short time and the child feels no pain. It involves the placing in the childs ear a tiny earpiece attached to a microphone and a loudspeaker. A clicking sound is then produced by the speaker, which is transmitted to the cochlea. If the cochlea is functioning properly, the sound will be sent back to the ear canal and picked by the microphone.

A case where no sound is heard could mean an hearing problem though other factors have to be ruled out. These factors can be an unsettled child, a noisy room or even the presence of some fluid in the ear after birth. The test has to be done several times and if not satisfactory another more sensitive test called automated auditory brainstem response is done. Both tests have to be done when the child is asleep to avoid interruption.

Young children are tested using a technique called reinforcement audiometry. Speakers are used to relay the sounds in the testing room and the child responds by turning towards the sound outlet. Every time this is done, the audiologist has to reward the child to keep him motivated. The frequencies are changed at different levels to see if the child can hear even at the lowest sound. Testing much older children and adults is done by use of pure tone audiometry technique. An audiometer is used to transmit sounds through headphones at different pitches and levels.




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