Full Hearing Test
Hearing loss is a very common symptom that requires a full investigation. The sensation of hearing loss may occur suddenly (sudden hearing loss) or may be present for a long time and have a slow progressive deterioration. Many conditions, from acute ear infections to a simple cold, can affect the level of hearing.
What kind of hearing loss do I have?
Conductive hearing loss
It is caused when the sound does not reach the cochlea located inside the ear sufficiently. Causes include alveolar plugs, anatomical abnormalities of the canal or eardrum and middle ear diseases.
Sensorineural Hearing loss
It is caused by damage to the cochlea or the nerve pathway that carries sound from the ear to the brain. Age, heredity, exposure to noise and taking ototoxic drugs can lead to this form of hearing loss.
Mixed hearing loss
A combination of the previous two types, each with varying degrees of effect on the patient's hearing loss.
What is included in the full check?
Otoscopy:
A clinical examination of the ear to detect any pathology affecting hearing.
Tonal Audio Chart
It is the test of choice for diagnosing the degree and type of hearing loss. The patient is placed in a sound-insulated chamber, wears hearing aids and listens to sounds at various frequencies and intensities. He confirms that he has heard each sound individually by pressing a button. In this way the quality of hearing is recorded by air conduction, i.e. when the sound is carried by air through the auditory canal and the eardrum to the hearing organ, as occurs normally
In the second stage of the test, the patient responds to the sounds heard through a small vibrator placed behind the flap. By vibrating the bone behind the ear the sound is transmitted directly to the hearing organ (bone conduction) and we record how the hearing nerve responds, bypassing the outer ear.
Interpretation of the results of the two tests above will reveal the type and degree of hearing loss
The tonal audiogram is safe and can be performed by children 4 years and older.
Tympanogram
A special plug is placed in the test ear and a specific sound stimulus is administered. The tympanograph records the volume of the ear cavity and the way the tympanic membrane pulsates. Useful conclusions are drawn about the presence of fluid in the ear, a hole in the eardrum and other anatomical defects of the hearing aid.