Pronounced: AW-dee-OM-eh-tree
Audiometry is a test that measures how well you can hear. This test is performed by an audiologist, a person trained to identify and help manage hearing problems.
There are several types of audiometry, including:
This test usually takes place in a soundproof booth. You will put on headphones hooked to an audiometer. This is a device that sends sounds of different volumes and pitches to one ear at a time. You will be asked to respond, most likely by raising your hand, each time you hear a sound.
You may also be asked to wear a special instrument, called a bone oscillator, behind each ear. The device sends sounds as vibrations directly to the inner ear. You will again be asked to respond each time you hear a sound.
You will wear special headphones. You will hear simple, two-syllable words. Words will be sent to one ear at a time, at different volume levels. You will be asked to repeat each word back or point to a picture.
A probe is inserted into your ear. The device changes the air pressure in your ear and emits sounds. The test measures how much your eardrum moves in response to the air pressure change and the sounds. It can help determine how well the middle ear is functioning and if there is fluid in it.
Babies are watched to see how they react to certain sounds.
Children are taught to look toward the source of a sound.
Older children are given a fun version of the pure tone audiometry test. Sounds of varying volume and pitch are sent through headphones to one ear at a time. Children are asked to do something with a toy, like drop a block in a bucket, each time they hear a sound.
Your test results are recorded on an audiogram. This is a chart or graph that shows the softest sounds you can hear. The audiologist will explain your test results.
Testing times vary. An initial screening may take only 5-10 minutes. A more detailed hearing test may take up to an hour.
There is no pain associated with these tests.
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Audiology
http://www.audiology.org/
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
http://www.asha.org/
My Baby’s Hearing Home Page
Boys' Town National Research Hospital
http://www.babyhearing.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Academy of Audiology
http://www.canadianaudiology.ca/
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php
References:
All about hearing loss: what is an audiogram? Boys' Town National Research Hospital website. Available at: http://www.babyhearing.org/HearingAmplification/HearingLoss/audiogram.asp. Accessed August 21, 2005.
Assistive technology. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm. Accessed August 23, 2005.
Audiogram and ENG. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine website. Available at: http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/a/audiogram.htm. Accessed August 23, 2005.
Audiology fact sheet. National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003341.htm. Accessed August 21, 2005.
Frequently asked questions on newborn hearing screening and testing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/FAQ/questionscreening.htm. Accessed August 23, 2005.
Hearing assessment. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/testing/assess.htm. Accessed August 21, 2005.
Hearing screening. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/testing/. Accessed August 21, 2005
Medical encyclopedia: tympanometry. National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003390.htm. Accessed August 24, 2005.
Mehr AS. Understanding your audiogram. American Academy of Audiology website. Available at: http://www.audiology.org/consumer/guides/uya.php. Accessed August 22, 2005.
Types of hearing tests. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center website. Available at: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/ent/procedure/hearing-tests.htm. Accessed August 22, 2005.
Last reviewed November 2009 by Elie Edmond Rebiez, MD, FACS
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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