Screening & Testing Adults

To diagnose an older child or adult when a hearing problem is suspected, one or more tests may be done. These tests can determine if there is hearing problem, the type it is, and the amount of hearing loss present.

Test	What happens
Audiogram	A person sits in a soundproof room wearing earphones A trained professional runs equipment that presents specific sounds in one ear at a time The person being tested indicates when they can hear a sound (softest level) at different pitches A visual "map", called an audiogram shows the results (which are compared to "normal" results)
Site Of Lesion Testing	Special hearing tests done to determine which part of the ear is causing the hearing loss Test helps find cause and location of hearing problems
Auditory Brainstem Response	Equipment records the electric responses of the auditory nerve and brainstem Used to determine hearing loss in infants and children
Tympanometry	Tests how eardrum moves using air pressure "Sees" middle ear problems (such as fluid behind eardrum)