An audiometer is a special instrument used to identify and monitor hear loss and hearing disorders. It has standard calibrations which help to obtain the best results of the condition. Audiometric tests are carried out in a quiet soundproof room. Headphones are provided to the patient to place on his ears. The professional requests you to sit and remain calm.

Sound relayed from the machine to the patient is done at different frequencies and intensities. The patient is required to respond whenever he hears the sound by either raising his hand or pressing a button. The hand raised has to correspond with the side of the ear that has heard the sound. This is repeated until the sound is very faint. The reading is then examined for any abnormality then recorded on an audiogram.

For a person to lose his ability to hear, he could be suffering from some conditions and in rare cases some people are born with this problem. Acoustic nauroma is presented in form of a tumor that grows slowly in the cranial nerve. This nerve is very sensitive for hearing and providing balance. When this condition occurs it can also cause facial paralysis.

Damage to the eardrum also known as the ossicle is also associated with hearing loss. Malfunction of a part of the hearing system known as vestibulocochlear nerve has been associated with sensorineural hearing loss. You might occasional experience a buzzing sound known as tinnitus. Mismanagement of some conditions like Vertigo can also result in hearing loss.

Audiometry is comprised of many tests which are done according to the age and the type of test. The principle which is used to check for hear loss on a newborn baby is the same as that used on an adult the only difference is the way of doing it. Babies cannot report when there is a problem with their ears and they require special equipment to test them. It is important to test a baby when asleep to avoid interruptions.

To test babies, the audiologist uses an otoacoustic emission test. This test is fast, simple and the child does not feel any pain. A tiny earpiece which contains a microphone and a small loudspeaker is securely placed in the ear. The loudspeaker produces clicking sound inside the ear which is passed to the cochlea. A well functioning cochlea responds by resending the sound to the ear canal which is heard by the microphone.

A case where no sound is heard could mean an hearing problem though other factors have to be ruled out. These factors can be an unsettled child, a noisy room or even the presence of some fluid in the ear after birth. The test has to be done several times and if not satisfactory another more sensitive test called automated auditory brainstem response is done. Both tests have to be done when the child is asleep to avoid interruption.

A technique called reinforcement audiometry is used to test young children. This test uses speakers as the sound outlet. The child is required to respond by confirming the location of the speaker when he hears the sound. This is done repeatedly at different frequencies. Adults and much grown children are tested using a technique called pure tone audiometry where an audiometer is used to produce sound which is relayed to the headphones at varied intensities and frequencies.