Hearing test facts for kids

A hearing test is a special check-up to see how well someone can hear. It helps doctors understand what sounds a person can hear and if they have any hearing loss. There are many kinds of hearing tests. They are used to learn different things about a person's hearing. Tests can also be different for kids and adults. Usually, experts called audiologists do these tests. They know which test is best for each person.

What Kinds of Hearing Tests Are There?

Hearing loss isn't just about sounds being too quiet. Sometimes, sounds might not be clear either. That's why there are many different tests. They help figure out exactly what kind of hearing problem someone has.

Pure Tone Audiometry

This is the most common type of hearing test. During this test, you listen to different sounds called pure tones. These sounds will have different pitches (how high or low a sound is). The audiologist records the softest sounds you can hear.

There are two main ways to do a pure tone audiometry test:

• Air Conduction: For this test, you wear earphones that go inside your ears. Sounds travel through the air into your ear canal.
• Bone Conduction: This test uses a small vibrator. It's placed behind your ear. This sends sound vibrations through your skull directly to your inner ear.

If the results from these two tests are different, it might mean there's a problem with your outer or middle ear.

Speech Recognition Test

This test checks how well you understand speech. You will listen to words at a normal sound level. Then, you will repeat the words you hear. This helps the audiologist see how clear sounds are for you.

Hearing In Noise Test

This test is a bit like the speech recognition test. You will repeat words you hear. But this time, it happens in two ways:

• First, in a quiet room.
• Then, in a noisy room.

Sounds might also come from different directions. This helps check how well you hear when there's background noise.

Tympanogram

For this test, a small instrument is placed inside your ear. Air is gently pumped in to change the air pressure in your ear. This test helps show if there is a problem with your middle ear or your eardrum.

Acoustic Reflex Measures

This test helps find where a hearing problem might be. Your middle ear has a small muscle that moves when it hears loud sounds. This test measures how loud sounds need to be before that muscle stops moving. This information can help pinpoint where the hearing problem is in your ear.

Static Acoustic Impedance

This test measures how much air is inside your ear canal. It can help tell if there is a hole in your eardrum.

Auditory Brainstem Response

This test checks your inner ear and your brain. Small sticky pads called electrodes are placed on your head. These electrodes measure your brain's activity when sounds are played.