People normally assume that a simple hearing test is enough to determine whether or not you are suffering from hearing loss. But what does that mean, a simple hearing test.

In fact, a complete hearing evaluation consists of a number of different hearing tests, including:

Audiometer Hearing Test

An audiometer hearing test involves the subject sitting in a soundproof room or booth, wearing a pair of headphones which are connected to an audiometer. An audiogram is used to measure the extent of hearing loss (if any). The audiometer emits a range of sounds at various frequencies; the subject indicates having heard the sound either by raising a hand or pressing a button – depending upon which method is used. By plotting the frequency along an x-axis and the loudness of the tone along a y-axis, the doctor or hearing specialist can see from the graph the extent of any hearing loss.

Weber Test Hearing Test

The Weber hearing test consists of placing a vibrating tuning fork on the middle of the subject’s forehead, equidistant from both ears. The subject must then indicate in which ear the sound is loudest. If the patient is not suffering from any hearing loss, then the sound should be the same in both ears. This hearing test is effective in confirming asymmetric, conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Rinne Hearing Test

The Rinne hearing test is used to measure sound by air conduction as versus bone conduction. A vibrating tuning fork is placed on the mastoid process (a conical prominence located on the mastoid portion of the temporal bone in the skull) until the sound is no longer heard. The tuning fork is then placed just outside the ear where the sound should be heard. Someone not suffering from hearing loss generally has a better air conduction to bone conduction ratio than someone who does. What this means is sound is transmitted to the ear in 2 ways: A) Air conduction, which utilizes the parts of the ear such as the eardrum, pinna and the ossicles in order to amplify and convey sound. B) Bone conduction, which bypasses some or all of these functions and transmits sound via bone in the skull directly into the inner ear or the opposite ear. Not surprisingly, the sound is transmitted at a reduced volume. When bone conduction is better than air, that’s a symptom of conductive hearing loss. If both air and bone conduction are low, this is a sign of sensorineural hearing loss.

The hearing tests, when taken together, contribute to a complete hearing evaluation. They can ascertain whether you are suffering from hearing loss and if so, to what extent. Your doctor or hearing specialist should only conduct these hearing tests.

Sources: Wikipedia