Traditional Evaluations

Tones are presented through headphones or small insert earphones to determine your threshold. A threshold is the softest tone one hears 50% of the time. This is done across the frequency range of 250-8000 Hz and results are plotted on an audiogram.
Bone conduction testing requires a small oscillator attached to a headband to be placed behind the ear. This testing bypasses the outer and middle ear, and assesses only the inner ear. By reviewing the results of the bone conduction testing, compared to the air conduction testing, the audiologist can determine if your hearing loss is a result of a problem in the outer, middle, and/or inner ear.
Speech Recognition testing is obtained using headphones or small foam insert earphones. The audiologist will ask you to repeat several two syllable words as the volume of their voice decreases. This is used to determine the softest level which you can successfully repeat back the words 50% of the time. Speech Identification scores are obtained in a similar fashion, as you will be asked to repeat back several one syllable words. However, for this test, the words are presented at a comfortable volume. This is a measure of how well you can identify spoken words in a quiet listening situation, without visual cues, at a volume you can easily hear.

Tympanometry

Tympanometry assesses your middle ear status. During this test, a small, soft probe tip is inserted into your ear. You will hear a tone and feel a momentary pressure change. Information obtained from this test can provide important information regarding the eardrum and middle ear cavity.

Acoustic Reflexes

This testing is often performed immediately following tympanometry. While the probe tip is still in your ear, you will hear several loud, brief tones at various frequencies. The acoustic reflex test looks for a contraction of a small muscle in the middle ear. This test can provide important information regarding your VII (facial) and VIII (hearing and balance) cranial nerves.

An OAE is a computerized hearing test that evaluates the physical function of the ear. Sound at five different pitches is sent into the ear through a small eartip. Sound passes through the outer and middle ears into the inner ear, where small hair cells in the cochlea respond to sound. If the ear physically functions properly, these outer hair cells move in response and generate a sound of their own. This response is measured by a microphone in the eartip and analyzed by the computer.
The response, or emission, is identified by its presence in comparison to the surrounding noise as well as to normative data. For this reason, the testing requires the patient to be very quiet. Noise can keep the computer from measuring the response. This noise, in addition to middle ear fluid, an ear canal blocked with debris, or hearing loss are possible reasons a person does not pass this test.