Diagnostic Hearing Assessment
THSG offers the following list of diagnostic hearing tests:
- Pure-Tone Thresholds Audiometry
- Speech Audiometry
- Tympanometry
- Free-Field Aided Test
Puretone audiometry is a hearing test to establish the presence or absence of hearing loss. If hearing loss is present, the type and degree of hearing loss will be determined.
How is it Performed?
The patient will be seated in a soundproof booth, with the Audiologist seated outside. The Audiologist will have a clear view of the patient through a glass window, and will perform the test using a calibrated audiometer. The test will take about 20 minutes and comprises of two parts:
- Air-conduction thresholds test In an air-conduction test, test signals are delivered through a pair of headphones or insert earphones.
- Bone-conduction thresholds test In bone-conduction tests, test signals are delivered through a bone vibrator that conducts the sound directly to the inner ear.
Tympanometry is a test of the middle ear function and the eardrum. It provides information on the condition of the middle ear and assesses the mobility of the eardrum by varying the air pressure in the ear canal.
The test helps to:
- Assess the eardrum movement (compliance)
- Monitor chronic middle ear fluid
- Confirm tympanic membrane perforation
- Monitor Eustachian tube function
It is important to note that tympanometry is not a hearing test. It does not assess the sensitivity of hearing and the results of this test should be viewed together with puretone audiometry. Tympanometry testing helps to distinguish between sensorinneural and conductive hearing loss, especially middle ear conditions such as otitis media with effusion, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, tympanic membrane scarring, tympanosclerosis, etc.
How is it Performed?
The test is performed by inserting the tympanometer probe into the ear canal, which generates a puretone signal and measures the sound reflected from the eardrum at different pressures. The wave form produced is called a tympanogram and can be broadly classified into 3 types:
Tympanometry is an objective test that can be easily performed on patients of all ages.
Speech audiometry is a hearing test that uses speech stimulus to find out about a person’s ability to hear and understand speech.
Speech test helps in different aspects:
- To cross check the puretone hearing thresholds
- To identify functional hearing loss
- To select the most suitable hearing aid
- To assess the suitability of various implant solutions
How is it Performed?
The patient will be seated in a calibrated, soundproof room with live or recorded speech stimulus delivered either through headphones or speakers. The patient will be required to repeat the speech stimulus heard. A speech score will then be calculated based on the number of words that are repeated correctly.
Free-Field Aided Test
This free-field aided test is performed with the patient putting on his/her hearing aids or implant devices and sitting in a soundproof booth with the test signals delivered through speakers. An aided hearing thresholds will assist the audiologist to further fine tune the hearing devices.