A General Review Of An Audiometer

By Tiffany Gill


If you have hearing loss problems, then an audiometer is the best device to evaluate to what extend your problem is. This device can also be used to test other problems specifically those that involve the Ear, nose or the throat. This device is calibrated in decibel units which are universally accepted. The calibration is however done in regular basis to ensure that the device gives a perfect reading when in use.

The device resembles a pair of headphones but is fitted with a feedback button which is controlled by a computer. The computer helps the specialist conducting the hearing loss analysis to display the data which is eventually used to form an audiogram. This audiogram is the one used to analyze the range through which a patient can react to given sound frequency.

An audiogram is simple graph showing the intensity of the sound in decibels versus the frequency in hertz. It gives a representation of the audible threshold of a patient under test exactly as it is being measured by the audiometer. When constructing an audiogram, the specialist takes into consideration the fundamental frequencies, as they must be included the audiometer readings. Normally, a range of 100HZ to 8000Hz is considered to be the range in which an audiogram can be constructed.

There exist two types of audiometers. They are the software and the hardware type. The software type is also called the digital audiometers. Such devices use computer software in their operation. They are mostly used by speech therapists in educational institutions to guide students with hearing capabilities.

On the other hand, the hardware type comes with an embedded unit which is inclusive of a feedback button and a pair of headphones. The button gives signals back to the embedded unit as received from the patient. The pair of headphones is used to shield the patient from external noises during test this data is then fed to a special PC to produce an audiogram. This audiometer is expensive when compared to the software type.

During hearing loss diagnosis, the audiometer presents a sound to a patient which is then subjected to different frequencies. The reaction of the patient to this sound will be displayed in the computer. The doctor will vary this sound continually until they are satisfied that a complete hearing loss analysis is conducted. They will then construct an audiogram based ion these readings. The graph will then be analyzed to determine the range of frequencies where the patient is reacting to the sound. A headphone is provided to the patient to shield them from external disturbances.

An adult person will show a reaction to certain frequencies by pressing a button which is usually embedded to the device. For small children, their reaction is normally different. Their response can be a head turn or by pressing a toy which is usually provided during the test.

Hearing loss problems are not suffered by human beings. Animals do also suffer from this problem. An audiometer is still the device veterinary doctors determining the hearing capabilities of animals. The animals are trained to respond to the sound through several practices like providing them with food, water e. T. C whenever they react to such audio frequencies.




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