Audiometry

Audiometry is the study of the hearing threshold – the minimum intensity of sound of a given frequency that can be heard by the ear of a particular person. There are average characteristics of this value under normal conditions, but in pathology its values change significantly (usually increase).

An audiogram is the result of an examination, a graph where the frequency of sound is displayed on the horizontal axis, and its intensity, which is heard by the patient’s ear, on the vertical axis.

INDICATIONS FOR AUDIOMETRY

  • Checking hearing acuity for patients who notice a decrease in hearing.
  • The presence of diseases such as: acute or chronic infectious and inflammatory processes in various parts of the ear (otitis media, labyrinthitis, mastoiditis, auditory neuritis).
  • Neuroinfections (meningitis, encephalitis).
  • Traumatic brain injuries.
  • Ear injuries.
  • Neoplasm of the brain or ear.
  • Acute cerebrovascular accidents.
  • Taking ototoxic drugs that could cause hearing complications.
  • In newborns there are congenital diseases of the hearing organ or nervous system.
  • Hearing testing is also recommended for people who are regularly exposed to noise.

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CONTRAINDICATIONS TO AUDIOMETRY

There are no absolute contraindications to audiometry. At the same time, not all categories of patients are suitable for one or another method. It is impossible to perform pure pure audiometry on a newborn or paralyzed patient – they are unable to follow the doctor’s instructions. Computer audiometry is indicated for such patients.

TYPES OF AUDIOMETRY

All methods of this research are divided into subjective and objective. Subjective are based on the patient’s feelings. They are quite simple, at the same time informative, but have a common drawback – they do not exclude simulation of the person being examined. These include speech and pure tone audiometry.

Objective methods are based on the assessment of physiological processes in the body in response to a specific sound. The patient’s words do not play any role here – the sensors of the devices will determine everything themselves. Hearing impairment cannot be simulated using these methods. Patients with speech disorders, bedridden people, and young children can be examined. These are computer audiometry techniques.

PREPARATION FOR AUDIOMETRY

Individual preparation for audiometry is not necessary, but there are restrictions – refusal to use headphones and attending noisy events, parties, discos within 24 hours before diagnosis, because the effect of intense noise on the ear can reduce the information content of the study and distort its results.

CARRYING OUT AUDIOMETRY

  • The examination lasts from 15 to 30 minutes.
  • The patient sits on a chair, puts on headphones, and picks up a special button.
  • The doctor uses an audiometer to send signals from soft to loud to the headphones.
  • When the patient hears the signal, he presses a button, after which a special program records the diagnostic results.
  • The examination result is displayed on the audiogram.

AUDIOMETRY RESULT

An audiogram allows you to determine in which part of the ear the disorder occurred – middle or internal.

Also, based on the result, you can determine the degree of hearing impairment (mild, moderate, severe, profound and deafness) for each ear and, if necessary, select a hearing aid for the patient.