The word audiology is made up of two roots: Audio and Logy. ‘Audio’ refers to ‘hear’ and ‘logy’ to ‘the study of’. In essence, audiology is the study of hearing – as the inner ear is also required for balance, this is also included in the study. In medical terms it is the branch of science dedicated to the study of hearing, balance and their associated disorders.
Since its inception, the field of audiology has been dependant on the type of technology available to it. Measuring hearing loss, the impact of the loss on the patient’s ability to communicate, the rehabilitation with hearing aids, all need technology based gadgets.
Over the last few decades, both the technology available has improved and the solutions being offered by audiologists. The new gadgets make recording hearing loss easier and more accurate. They allow screening for hearing loss in newborn babies – this has enabled treatment of hearing loss in early infancy and fitting of hearing aids within weeks of being born.
Tympanometry is a test that shows how well your middle ear is working. It does this by measuring how your eardrum moves. Your ear consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Sound enters through your outer ear as energy or vibrations.
BERA (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry) is an objective test used to determine how electrical waves are sent from the eighth cranial nerve to the brainstem in response to click noises delivered through the ear.
The auditory steady state response (ASSR) is an auditory evoked potential (AEP) that can be used to objectively estimate hearing sensitivity in individuals with normal hearing sensitivity and with various degrees and configurations of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
The otoacoustic emission test (OAE) measures hair cell function in the inner ear. An emission refers to the sound generated within the normal cochlea of the ear in response to stimulation.
OAE testing is used for a number of reasons, including screening of infants and other special populations.
Videonystagmography (VNG) is a test that measures a type of eye movement that you can’t control. These eye movements are called nystagmus. With nystagmus, your eyes move from side to side, up and down, or in a circle. The movements can be slow or fast, steady or jerky
Audiometry; Hearing test; Audiography (audiogram) An audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary, based on their loudness (intensity) and the speed of sound wave vibrations (tone).
