1.3.2 Can You Hear Me Now?

Medical Interventions

1.3.2 Can You Hear Me Now?

• Review: 2 types of hearing loss

• Hearing tests help determine the type & extent of hearing loss

Introduction

• Uses an audiometer to measure hearing
• Plays beeps/tones at specific frequencies (250-8000 Hz) & will continue to get softer (reduce decibels)
• Every time you hear a beep – raise a finger/press a button
• Softest sound heard @ a particular frequency = threshold

• Thresholds are represented on a graph -> audiogram

• Can be used to diagnose sensorineural and/or conductive hearing loss

Audiograms

Audiogram Interpretations

Decibels increase from top to bottom, so X's and O's graphed toward the top along all frequencies is good!

Normal Audiogram

Audiogram – Sensorineural Hearing Loss Mild Hearing Loss in Both Ears

Audiogram – Sensorineural Hearing Loss Moderate Hearing Loss in Both Ears

Audiogram – Sensorineural Hearing Loss Severe Hearing Loss in Both Ears

In addition to testing for sensorineural hearing loss, you can also test for conductive hearing loss with an audiogram. This requires testing hearing with both air and bone conduction.

• Air conduction – conduction of sound waves through the ear as normal. Represented as x's and o's on the audiogram.
• Bone conduction - conduction of sound waves through the mastoid process. Represented as < (right) and > (left) on the audiogram.

Audiograms – Conductive Hearing Loss

• Can hear all frequencies in both ears through both air conduction & bone conduction at low decibels (0-20)

• Note that the < & > are directly over the X's and O's – this is what we want to see!

Audiogram with Conduction - Normal

• Bone conduction (< and >) could be heard better than air conduction (X and O) - indicates conductive hearing loss

Audiogram with Conduction – Conductive Hearing Loss

• Part 1. Review the audiograms provided and determine:
• If the patient has sensorineural or conductive hearing loss
• If the patient has hearing loss in one or both ears
• The severity of the hearing loss in each ear (if applicable)

• Part 2. Match the case study with the correct audiogram.

It's Your Turn!

• Go to 1.3.2 > Part I: Hearing Assessment > step 17
• Do the online hearing test to create an audiogram for yourself
• You'll need headphones for this
• Take a screenshot of your results and submit to Schoology (1.3.2 Audiogram)

It's still your turn!