To help the Audiologist determine the nature of your problem, tests like the following, may be used depending on their assessment of your needs:

Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA)

The most common test is the Pure Tone Threshold Test for above 5 years. This test measures the auditory threshold of important frequencies of speech. Normal pure tone thresholds are at 20dB HL of better.

Free Field Audiometry (FFA)

This test is performed on children under 5 years. This is an audiometer which presents the test sounds to the patient through loudspeakers rather than through headphones.

Speech Test

The Speech test is an essential part of a hearing aid assessment. Understanding the spoken word requires more auditory processing by the brain than simply detecting a pure tone. This test allows the Audiologist to determine what outcomes can be expected from prescribing amplification with hearing aids, and therefore determines a method of aural rehabilitation best suited for their client.

Brain Stem Evoked Response Audiometry (Bera)

It is used on newborn to adults for hearing screening, auditory threshold estimation, intra-operative monitoring, determining hearing loss type and degree, and auditory nerve and brainstem lesion detection.

Oto Acoustic Emission (OAE)

The OAE test is performed on patients from new born to nay age but is often part of a newborn hearing screening program.

Impedence audiometry

The primary purpose of impedence audiometry is to determine the status of the tympanic membrane and the middle ear. It is also otherwise known as Tympanometry or acoustic immitance test. The other purpose of the test is to assess acoustic reflex pathways including the auditory brainstem and the cranial nerves.