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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTests to diagnose hearing loss may include:
- General screening tests. Your doctor may ask you to cover one ear at a time to see how well you hear words spoken at various volumes and how you respond to other sounds.
- Tuning fork tests. Tuning forks are two-pronged, metal instruments that produce sounds when struck. Simple tests with tuning forks can help your doctor detect hearing loss. A tuning fork evaluation may also reveal whether hearing loss is caused by damage to the vibrating parts of your middle ear (including your eardrum), damage to sensors or nerves of your inner ear, or damage to both.
- Audiometer tests. During these more-thorough tests conducted by an audiologist, you wear earphones and hear sounds directed to one ear at a time. The audiologist presents a range of sounds of various tones and asks you to indicate each time you hear the sound. Each tone is repeated at faint levels to find out when you can barely hear. The audiologist will also present various words to determine your hearing ability.
References
- Hearing loss. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/hearinglossdefined/01.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Weber PC. Evaluation of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Medwetsky L. Hearing loss. In: Duthie EH, et al. Practice of Geriatrics. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/146634551-3/0/1532/189.html?tocnode=53845996&fromURL=189.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2261-9..50026-4_447. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Kozak AT, et al. Hearing loss. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2009; 42:79.
- Weber PC. Etiology of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Drug-induced ototoxicity. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch086/ch086d.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Occupational noise exposure — 1910.95. U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Hidalgo JL, et al. The hearing-dependent daily activities scale to evaluate impact of hearing loss in older people. Annals of Family Medicine. 2008;6:441.
- Katbamna B, et al. Acquired hearing loss in adolescents. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2008:55;1391.
- Common sounds. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/education/teachers/common_sounds.asp. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Takahashi PY (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 1, 2009.
- Learn more about hearing loss prevention: Noise meter. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Accessed July 15, 2009.
- How loud is too loud? American Tinnitus Association. http://www.ata.org/about-tinnitus/how-loud-too-loud. Accessed July 15, 2009.
