Pure tone audiometry is a hearing test that determines if a person has hearing loss and can give results for each individual ear. It uses headphones or earphones to test the individual’s ability to hear a signal. The test results are plotted on an audiogram, which shows the softest sound the person could hear at each frequency. The test can diagnose a variety of problems, including age-related hearing loss, otitis media, and noise-related hearing loss.
Pure tone audiometry is a hearing test. It is used to determine if a person has hearing loss and can give results for each individual ear. Typically using a pair of headphones or earphones that are inserted into the ear, both of which block out any ambient sound in the room, the test determines the individual’s ability to hear a signal as it passes through indoor air, outer and middle ear and through the bones of the skull.
Subjects who are unable to wear headphones, such as small children, can also be tested in a soundproofed room with speakers in place of earphones. Pure-tone audiometry tests are typically given by an audiologist with a referral from an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in the ear, head, neck, nose, and throat. There are two parts to the test, which typically only takes 20-25 minutes. The first part has the subject listen to different pitches and frequencies to determine what the ear is capable of hearing. The second part involves using headphones to test bone and air conduction, and the results of this part of the test will help determine where a problem is, if one is found.
Pure tone audiometry test results are plotted on a graph called an audiogram. One side of the graph represents frequency, or tone, and the other side represents intensity, or decibels (dB). The marks on the graph show the softest sound the person could hear at each frequency. The most common frequencies tested are 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hertz (Hz), each in a range of 0 to 120 dB.
The test results provide an individual’s pure tone thresholds (PTT), which represent the softest tones that the person can hear at least half the time. Test results are considered normal when the number is 0-25dB, progressing to mild hearing loss at 26-40dB, moderate at 41-55dB, moderate to severe at 56-70dB, and severe at 71-90dB. Hearing loss is considered severe when the number is above 90dB and it is at this stage that speech and language begin to be affected. The test determines the softest sound for each frequency, so it can determine whether a person has trouble hearing only low- or high-frequency sounds and not just diagnose general hearing difficulties.
A pure tone audiometry test can diagnose a variety of problems. Age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, can affect middle-aged and older people and have a significant effect on their ability to hear higher frequencies and spoken word. Otitis media is typically seen in young children and occurs when fluid begins to build up in the middle ear. Once diagnosed early enough, steps can be taken to prevent further hearing loss. Pure tone audiometry can also diagnose noise-related hearing loss, which can occur at any age and is more common in individuals who are repeatedly exposed to the same noise, such as working around noisy machinery without adequate protection for the ears.
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