Immittance testing is used in hearing tests to determine the nature and source of hearing problems. Other tests include sound field, headphone, bone conduction, and otoacoustic tests. Impedance is also used in electronics to measure opposition to AC electricity.
The word impedance refers to how fast a sound travels from one material to another. It is most often used in physician offices specializing in hearing. Immittance is instrumental in a type of hearing test called tympanography or impedance audiology. This type of testing generally focuses on how sound travels from the middle ear to the inner ear and how pressure changes affect the eardrum. It is used to determine the nature and possible sources behind hearing problems and is one of several tests that can help a hearing care professional determine if a patient needs a hearing aid.
Immittance testing is usually done by inserting a sterile probe into the middle ear which seals the ear. Once sealed, the probe makes pressure changes and records changes in the eardrum and muscle reflex changes that occur within the ear in response to pressure changes. Pediatricians can use this test to determine if a hearing-impaired child has fluid buildup in the ear. If your child has already had fluid drainage tubes inserted into their ear, impedance testing can determine if they are working to drain the fluid.
Other types of hearing tests include sound field tests, headphone tests, bone conduction tests, and otoacoustic tests. Each type of test uses a different technique to focus on testing a specific part of the ear. Generally, the results of multiple tests are combined to give a hearing care professional a better idea of the causes of any hearing problems you find.
The sound field test tests how well a patient hears sounds played in a room through a speaker located in the room. The headphone test is performed by playing sounds through speakers into a set of headphones worn by the patient and can help determine signs of hearing loss in each ear individually. The bone conduction test shows how much sound is conducted through the bones and nerves in a patient’s head. Otoacoustic tests test the inner ear and the function of the sound-conducting hairs inside the ears.
In electronics, impedance is a term that describes both the impedance and the admittance of an electric current. Immittance has no definite unit of measurement because it relates to both conditions. Impedance is a measure of the opposition to alternating current (AC) electricity. Admission is the opposite of impedance; is the measure of the current flowing through the conductive object.
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