An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. This principle also applies to anyone with a hearing loss condition. The earlier the disease is detected, the better its prognosis. However, hearing tests are conducted for those already suffering from the disease to see if hearing has improved or not, and whether treatment is effective.
Hearing tests are also performed on babies. Since these little tics cannot express subjective opinions, doctors cannot be sure that they have normal hearing or not. Because of this, babies are subject to hearing tests for the early detection of problems that are factors that may interfere with the development of speech and other cognitive abilities. Tests for babies are very important for detecting any congenital hearing impairment, such as hearing loss.
Hearing tests are also very important for children at school. Although people can learn visibly and kinesthetically, hearing still plays a very large role in absorbing this information. If the child has hearing problems, learning may be difficult. It is for this reason that hearing tests are conducted to determine if a particular child has a hearing loss or not. If the tests are positive, then appropriate actions can be taken immediately.
For individuals who are suspected of having a hearing loss, you can determine and establish the severity as well as the type of hearing loss. In this case, appropriate treatment and treatment can be given to improve the condition of the patient. Hearing tests will also be used as an assessment tool if a person’s hearing condition has improved or not.
1) Weber test
Named after Ernst Heinrich Weber, the Weber test is considered one of the most basic tests for detecting hearing loss. This test will detect two types of hearing loss: unilateral conductive hearing loss and unilateral sensorineural type.
The Weber test uses a tuning fork. The plug is stuck on the surface, creating vibrations. Then it will be placed on top of the media side of the skull. It is said that a person has unilateral hearing loss if one ear hears a sound louder than the other. An ear that hears a loud sound is affected.
2) Rinne test
Like the Weber test, the Rinne test also uses a tuning fork. This auditory test was named after Heinrich Adolf Rinne, the man who developed this test. The Rinne test compares how sound is perceived as directed through the mastoid process.
A customizable plug gets stuck creating vibrations. Then the stem of the fork is stuck on the man's mastoid. When the sound is no longer audible, the plug is then placed behind the ear.
Although the Webber test and the Rinne test have proven to be effective, they cannot be compared to an aural test called audiometry.
3) Testing audiometry
Audimetry is the formal testing of a person’s hearing aid. With the help of an audiometer you can measure a person’s hearing level. It can measure a person’s ability to distinguish between different sound intensities, distinguish speech from background sounds, or recognize pitch. In audiometry, otoacoustic emissions as well as an acoustic reflex can also be measured. The test results of audiometry can be used to diagnose whether the subject has a hearing loss or other ear problems.
Unlike the Weber test and the Rinne test, audiometry testing requires a special soundproof room. He also does not use tuning forks. Instead, he uses a device called an audiometer.
4) Tympanometry
Tympanometry is a test commonly used to detect conductive hearing loss. It is also used if nothing is detected through the Rinne and Weber test. An otoscope is used in this procedure. This ensures that nothing; neither a foreign object nor earwax block the path to the eardrum. This is considered an unmistakable method if the results of other tests ever cause suspicious inaccurate or abnormal results, and further tests are needed to assess the hearing level of the deaf.
Tympanometry is aimed at the mobility of the eardrum, the behavior of bones and the condition of the middle ear.
