What is Pure-Tone Testing?

If you have found yourself wondering about your hearing, whether it might be changing over time, then you’ll find you should see an audiologist as soon as possible. They will be able to carry out a number of hearing tests with you, to see where your hearing is at and to provide solutions if it has been worsening over time. One of the tests they are likely to carry out is known as pure-tone testing. But what is it, and how does it work?

What is Pure-Tone Testing?

Pure-tone audiometry is a hearing test that uses simple tones to check how well you hear. During the test, you’ll listen to these tones at different pitches to see which ones you can or can’t hear. This helps create a detailed picture of your hearing abilities. After the test, an audiogram is made to show how well you hear and if there’s any hearing loss. This audiogram helps your audiologist understand the extent of your hearing problems. It is a very common and widely used form of hearing test, and one that you are almost certainly going to take if you do see an audiologist for any reason.

How Does It Work?

A pure-tone test evaluates your hearing by presenting simple tones through headphones. During the test, you’ll hear a series of beeps at various pitches and volumes, one at a time. You’ll need to indicate when you hear each sound by pressing a button or raising your hand. The responses are used to create an audiogram, a graph that displays your hearing sensitivity across different frequencies. The tone will be reduced and reduced until it is barely audible to the individual, at which point the hearing threshold of that person has therefore been established. In this way, it is an easy and effective way to discover just how far your hearing loss may have progressed.

The Results

At the end, the results are shown on an audiogram, a kind of graph, detailing exactly where the hearing level is and where it began to drop off. This is useful information for them in trying to deliver a solution for you, but also good for you to know, as this can help track your hearing loss, when you schedule checkups with your audiologist.

If your audiogram shows that you are experiencing hearing loss, your audiologist can recommend hearing aids. In that case, they will be able to advise as to what kind of hearing aid you need and how to fit them and so on. There are three main styles they can recommend, including in the ear (ITE), behind the ear (BTE) and in the canal (ITC).

If you want to find out more about pure-tone testing, or you would like to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing test. With early detection of hearing loss, you can get the right treatment for you needs. This helps to prevent further hearing loss from happening. With regular appointments your audiologist can measure your hearing loss and make necessary adjustment to your hearing aids if needed.