Pure Tone Audiometry Test Park Ridge

You're about to take a pure tone audiometry test, which uses single-frequency sounds to determine your hearing threshold. You'll sit in a soundproof room, wear headphones, and respond to tones by pressing a button or raising your hand. The test will check your hearing in each ear, across different frequencies.

You'll be presented with tones at varying intensities to find the softest sound you can hear. As you go through the test, you'll start to understand how it works, and soon you'll discover what the results mean for your hearing and what comes next for you.

All Ears in Hearing is based in Rochedale South and Shailer Park. We service all the surrounding areas of Rochedale, Shailer Park, Logan, Mount Gravatt, Acacia Ridge, Parkison, Strettong, Browns Plains, Regents Park, Forestdale, Forest Lake, Springfield Lakes and Waterford West.

What Is Pure Tone

When you're assessing your hearing, it's essential to understand what pure tone is. It refers to a single frequency sound with no additional noise or harmonics. You'll be exposed to different frequencies, and it's crucial to recognize the pure tones to determine your hearing threshold. This threshold is the minimum sound level you can detect, and it's measured in decibels.

As you listen to the pure tones, you'll be asked to indicate when you hear a sound. You won't hear any background noise or mixed frequencies, just a single, clear tone. The pure tone audiometry test uses different frequencies, typically ranging from low pitches like 250 Hz to high pitches like 8000 Hz. You'll be tested for both air conduction and bone conduction to get a comprehensive understanding of your hearing. By understanding what pure tone is, you can better participate in the test and get accurate results. This helps you and your audiologist determine the best course of action for your hearing health.

How PTA Tests Work

A typical pure tone audiometry (PTA) test involves you sitting in a soundproof room, wearing headphones, and listening to a series of tones through those headphones. You'll be asked to indicate when you hear a tone, and the intensity of the tone will be varied to determine the softest sound you can hear. The test will start with one ear, and then the other, to assess your hearing in each ear separately.

As you listen to the tones, you'll respond by pressing a button or raising your hand when you hear a sound. The tones will be presented at different frequencies, ranging from low to high pitches, to evaluate your hearing across the entire audible spectrum. The results will be recorded on an audiogram, which is a graph that shows the softest sounds you can hear at different frequencies. This information will help determine your level of hearing sensitivity and identify any potential hearing issues.

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be categorized into several types, and it's essential you understand what they are. You'll find that hearing loss is typically classified as conductive, sensorineural, or mixed. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there's a problem with the way sound is conducted to the inner ear. This can be due to issues like earwax buildup, fluid in the middle ear, or a perforated eardrum.

You may have sensorineural hearing loss if there's damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This type of hearing loss is often permanent and can be caused by exposure to loud noises, aging, or certain medications. Mixed hearing loss, as you might expect, is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. It's crucial you identify the type of hearing loss you're experiencing, as it will impact the treatment options available to you. Understanding your type of hearing loss will help you make informed decisions about your hearing health.

PTA Test Procedure

During the course of your Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) test, you'll be seated in a soundproof room, surrounded by equipment designed to assess your hearing abilities. You'll wear headphones connected to an audiometer, which produces tones of varying frequencies and intensities. The test is usually conducted by an audiologist or a trained technician who'll guide you through the procedure.

You'll be asked to respond when you hear a tone, and the tester will record your responses. The tones will get softer and softer, and you'll indicate when you can no longer hear them. This process will be repeated for different frequencies, ranging from low to high pitches. You may also be tested with different types of earphones, such as insert earphones or headphones. The test can take around 15-30 minutes to complete, depending on the complexity of the test and your hearing abilities. You'll be required to concentrate and respond accurately to get accurate results.

Understanding Audiogram Results

Your test results will be plotted on an audiogram, which is a graph that shows the softest tones you can hear at different frequencies. It's a visual representation of your hearing ability, and it'll help you understand where you stand. The graph will have frequencies on the x-axis and decibel levels on the y-axis. You'll see two lines, one for each ear, indicating the threshold at which you can detect sounds.

As you look at the audiogram, you'll notice that the lines will be closer to the top if you have hearing loss. You'll also see different symbols, like "O" for the right ear and "X" for the left ear. If you don't have hearing loss, the lines will be closer to the bottom. You can compare your results to the norm, which is usually around 0 decibels. If your results are higher, it means you have some degree of hearing loss. It's essential to discuss your results with an audiologist or hearing specialist, who'll interpret the data and provide recommendations for you. They'll help you determine the next steps to take.