DIAGNOSTIC HEARING TEST
Hearing loss is more than the inability to hear loudly enough. People with hearing loss experience problems in hearing and localising a sound source. They may also have a discrimination loss – that is, difficulty discriminating words from each other, even if they are fairly loud. They can hear the words, but fail to understand the spoken message.
Types Of Hearing Loss
Pure Tone Audiometry. This is the key hearing test for identifying an individual’s hearing levels, whereby the patient indicates a response to a sound.
Speech Audiometry. The patient’s performance during this test aids the audiologist in determining the type of hearing loss as well as provides valuable insight into the individual’s levels of comfort to speech and word recognition abilities.
Eustachian Tube Function Testing. A functional and patent Eustachian tube is necessary for ideal middle ear sound mechanics. This test assesses the changes in middle ear pressure under varying circumstances in order to determine Eustachian tube function.
Impedance Audiometry. Tympanometry. A small probe is inserted into the outer ear canal and measurements representing the functioning of the middle ear are recorded to indicate eardrum perforations, abnormal pressure, fluid build-up and increased/decreased mobility of the eardrum and middle ear structures.
Acoustic Reflexes. Acoustic reflex measurements are carried out to measure the involuntary muscle contraction that occurs in the middle ear in response to loud sounds.
Electrophysiologic tests
These are measures to partially estimate hearing function and to determine which function of the auditory system is at fault. They’re commonly used for children who can’t be tested behaviourally (due to age, developmental delay, or other medical conditions), as well as adults who are unable to participate in a standard test battery (due to cognitive impairment).
Diagnostic Oto-Acoustic Emissions. This test assesses the outer hair cell functioning of the cochlea.
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). This test gives the audiologist information about the cochlea and neural pathways for hearing. ABRs are commonly used to test hearing in:
- ‘At-risk’ infants, like babies who have not passed the OAE assessment, have spent more than five days in NICU, have a low birth weight, or have low APGAR scores
- Difficult-to-test populations, including children with cerebral palsy, developmentally delayed children or children with medical conditions
- To confirm hearing loss in medico-legal cases
- To diagnose auditory disorders, such as auditory neuropathy
- To conduct intra-operative monitoring; for example, during the removal of tumors on the 8th cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve)
Electrocochleography (ECochG / ECOG) test
This test is used to confirm the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease, as well as during intra-operative monitoring or to assist in the diagnosis of auditory neuropathy disorder.
If you’d like more information on any of our testing, please contact us today. We can help.
MELROSE NORTH
Blubird Medical Suites
Blubird Shopping Mall Level 1
Cnr Atholl Oaklands & Cross Streets
Melrose North
OFFICE HOURS
OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday | 08:30am – 16:30pm
