Hearing Evaluation
Hearing is the perception of sound through our ears and placing a meaning to that sound. Hearing loss is a condition that happens when any part of the ear doesn’t function the way it should. A hearing test or evaluation provides a measurement of the sensitivity of a person’s hearing across the full range of speech.
Loss of hearing can make it very difficult to participate in everyday life. The ability to hear can be impacted by disease, age, structural damage to the ear, medication, high exposure to sound and also genetics. Doctors classify hearing loss by degrees – mild, moderate, severe and profound. An evaluation by the ENT doctor can determine the underlying cause of hearing loss. Tests like audiometry, tuning fork test, general screening are some of the ways to evaluate ones hearing ability. These tests are non-invasive and an ENT doctor can help in determining the correct form of medical intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regardless of one’s age or job, one should get a hearing test done if you feel that you are not hearing as well as you used to. People older than 60 or those working in high-noise occupations are most at risk of developing hearing loss. Certain medications and health conditions can cause hearing loss in young and middle-aged adults.
There are 3 types of hearing loss:
- Conductive: Involves an ear infection or blockage and is not permanent.
- Sensorineural: Involves nerve damage and is permanent.
- Mixed: It is a combination of the above two.