Hearing Tests

Question 1

What does pure tone audiometry do and what age group is it used in?

Answer 1

1. Measures quietest sound someone can hear at different frequencies in each ear separately.
2. Ages 3+

Question 2

What do the red and blue line and x and y axis indicate on a pure tone audiometry graph?

Answer 2

1. Red line - right ear
2. Blue line - left ear
3. X-axis - pitch
4. Y-axis - frequency

Question 3

If the red line is below the blue line in pure tone audiometry, what does this indicate?

Answer 3

Unilateral right sided hearing loss

Question 4

What is this a presentation of?

Bilateral hearing loss, both blue and red lines are downward sloping to the right on pure tone audiometry.

Answer 4

Presbycusis

Question 5

What is this a presentation of?

Bilateral hearing loss, both blue and red lines have a lower section at 4kHz, then rise again in pure tone audiometry.

Answer 5

Noise induced hearing loss

Question 6

What is this a presentation of?

Unilateral hearing loss, bone conduction better, Carhart’s notch at 2kHz on pure tone audiometry.

Answer 6

Otosclerosis

Question 7

What is this a presentation of?

Unilateral hearing loss, triangles above circles and crosses on pure tone audiometry.

Answer 7

Bone conduction higher than air conduction (conductive hearing loss, e.g. glue ear)

Question 8

What is the hearing screen for new-borns?

Answer 8

1. Otoacoustic emissions

2. Auditory brainstem response for further diagnostic testing if failed above

Question 9

What is tympanometry?

Answer 9

Measures how flexible the tympanic membrane is, establishes cause of conductive deafness.