Audiology

Just as technology for audio devices (such as headphones) has advanced, medical tests and treatments for hearing impairments have also improved. Recent developments now make it easier to test a person’s ability to hear. Audiology is the study of hearing.

When someone has his or her hearing evaluated, one or more tests may be done. Some tests check the physical health of the auditory system. The ability of the eardrum to withstand pressure is also measured. Other exams assess a person’s ability to hear sounds at different frequencies. Finally, there are tests that measure the ability to hear and understand normal speech.

Sounds are measured in decibels, or loudness. They are also measured in frequency, which is the number of vibrations per second. The sounds of everyday life can be mapped on a grid based on these two levels. For example, a dog barking might register at 70 decibels but at a low frequency. Birds chirping are a higher-pitched tone, or higher frequency, but often low on the decibel scale.

People with normal hearing can hear whispers and other sounds at low decibel levels across all frequencies. Those with mild to moderate hearing loss may have trouble hearing high or low pitched sounds, or sounds quieter than 60 or 70 decibels. Hearing loss may be conductive, which relates to how the ear functions. Sensory loss has to do with the ear’s ability to transmit sound waves through the inner ear. Neural loss happens when there is damage to the nerve that transmits sound messages from the ear to the brain.

The sounds of human speech are dispersed across the decibel and frequency grid in a shape referred to as the “speech banana.” People may be able to hear sounds in this range but may have trouble understanding speech when there is a lot of background noise.

Medical advances in testing and treatment options make it possible for people to be less hindered in everyday life due to hearing loss.