A series of medical tests, normally performed by an audiologist, otologist, or otolaryngologist, designed to screen for possible hearing loss, to assess the amount of hearing loss, and to identify the location of the problem causing the loss.
Hearing tests are procedures performed to evaluate a person’s hearing capabilities. For newborns and infants, otoacoustic emission tests can be utilized to confirm the inner ear’s normal response to sound. Such tests are commonly included in standard child development assessments and are also conducted when there’s a suspicion of hearing loss. Sometimes, they’re integrated into a comprehensive medical examination. Additionally, these tests can be valuable for individuals experiencing symptoms like tinnitus or dizziness.
An audiometer, which is an electrical instrument, is employed to evaluate a person’s capacity to hear sounds at varying frequencies and volumes. It measures the softest level at which a person can perceive and repeat words, known as the speech reception threshold, in each ear. It also assesses the ability to discern words clearly, referred to as speech discrimination. Furthermore, tuning fork tests can be utilized to identify whether the hearing loss is of a conductive or sensorineural nature.