Hearing Assessment (Pure Tone Audiometry & Impedance)

Explained in simple words

1A hearing test, called audiometry, measures exactly how much a person can hear in each ear separately.

2Many balance problems and ear diseases also affect hearing, so this test is done along with the vertigo tests.

3It is completely painless. Nothing is inserted deep into the ear, there is no injection, and there is no radiation.

4The test is done in a quiet, sound-treated room so that outside noise does not affect the result.

5You sit comfortably and wear a pair of headphones. A soft button may also be placed behind the ear on the bone.

6Through the headphones you will hear a series of beeps, some loud and some very soft, at different pitches — from deep sounds to very high, thin sounds.

7Your only job is to press a button, or raise your hand, every single time you hear the beep — even if it is very faint.

8There are no right or wrong answers, and nothing needs to be read or written. So people who have never been to school can do this test very easily.

9The machine slowly reduces the loudness until you can just barely hear it. That softest level is your hearing threshold for that pitch.

10This is repeated for each pitch, first in one ear and then in the other, so we know each ear separately.

11The results are drawn on a chart called an audiogram, which shows the pattern and the degree of hearing loss.

12The soft button behind the ear checks the inner ear directly, bypassing the ear drum and the small bones.

13By comparing the two, the doctor can tell whether the problem lies in the outer and middle ear, or in the inner ear and nerve.

14This difference is very important, because middle-ear problems can often be corrected by surgery, while inner-ear problems usually need hearing aids or an implant.

15A second short test, called impedance or tympanometry, is also done. A soft rubber tip is placed at the opening of the ear canal.

16It gently changes the air pressure for a few seconds and measures how freely the ear drum moves. You may feel a slight fullness, like in an aeroplane, but no pain.

17This shows whether there is fluid behind the ear drum, a hole in the drum, or stiffness of the small ear bones — common causes of hearing loss in both children and adults.

18The complete assessment usually takes twenty to thirty minutes.

19There is no preparation needed. You may eat normally and take your regular medicines.

20If you have a cold, blocked ear or discharge on that day, please tell the doctor, as it can change the result.

21Children can also be tested using simple play-based methods, where they drop a toy in a box each time they hear a sound.

22After the test, the doctor shows you the chart and explains in simple words how much hearing is affected and what can be done.

23Treatment may include medicines, ear surgery, a hearing aid, or a cochlear implant, depending on the type and degree of loss.