An audiometer measures hearing acuity and is used by audiologists and ENT specialists to identify and monitor hearing loss and disorders. It presents tones at different frequencies and intensities and is calibrated to provide optimal test results. Digital audiometers are available, but clinical settings prefer machines for accuracy. School-age children in the US are typically tested in the first few years of school.
An audiometer is a special instrument that is used to measure hearing acuity. The invention of this device is credited to Dr. Harvey Fletcher of Brigham Young University. Audiologists and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists use audiometers to perform hearing tests. An audiometer used in professional clinical settings has a pre-established standard for calibration and can be used to identify and monitor hearing loss and hearing disorders.
A doctor or specialist uses an audiometer to conduct a series of tests and then compiles the individual results to make an assessment of an individual’s hearing. An audiometer is specially calibrated to provide optimal test results. The test results are measured and recorded on a graph called an audiogram.
An audiometer presents tones at different frequencies, or pitches, and at different intensities, or volume levels. The same frequency is presented at different intensities until the patient no longer responds to the sound. The test continues with different frequencies presented equally until a consistent assessment of hearing can be made. Usually, the patient is given a pair of headphones through which sounds travel, and the patient is instructed to respond when they hear sound.
An audiometer is most often a separate piece of hardware, or a machine, by itself. However, there are also digital audiometers available that work like software with a computer. Many times, hearing and speech therapists working in education use audiometer software to monitor their students’ progress. Though in various settings, such as education, audiometer software is a useful tool, most of the clinical settings prefer to use audiometer machines because they are specially calibrated and provide the most accurate measurements.
Most school-age children in the United States are tested with an audiometer in the first few years of school between kindergarten and first grade. If a problem is suspected, they are typically referred to their GP, an audiologist or ENT for further evaluation.
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