Audiometry (Hearing Test)
A hearing test is designed to measure the ability of sound to reach your brain. Sound waves travel through air into your ear canal or through bone behind your ears to an area of the inner ear where they are converted to nerve impulses that are “heard” by your brain.
Test Procedure
- Sounds of various frequencies are transmitted to headphones
- The person being evaluated presses a button each time a tone is heard
- The pattern of tone recognition depicts hearing deficits by plotting the results on a graph called an audiogram
What is being Assessed with the Test?
A hearing test can determine whether hearing loss is due to poor air conduction or poor bone conduction of the sound waves or whether your nervous system is not working to convert the sound waves appropriately. It can also be used to measure progression of hearing loss over time or improvement of hearing loss with a specific treatment.
What if My Test is Abnormal?
Your physician will use the information gathered from the testing to guide medical treatment or a hearing protection plan.
Testing is available now at Well-Key Urgent Care.
For more information on Audiometry, see the following websites:
WebMD review article on hearing testing
MedLine Plus review article on audiometry
Disclaimer: The links above are to sites independent of Wellkeyhealth.com. The pages will open in a new browser window. The information provided is for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your doctor. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding your specific medical questions, treatments, therapies, and other needs.