Pure-tone (tonal) audiometry
The basic hearing test. The patient sits in a soundproof booth wearing headphones and signals when they hear tones of different pitch and loudness. The result is an audiogram — a chart of the hearing threshold for each ear separately.
The test takes about 20–30 minutes, needs no preparation and is performed in adults and in older children who are able to cooperate. From around 6 years of age we use play audiometry, and in younger children hearing is assessed with tests that do not require a response from the child (otoacoustic emissions, ABR, tympanometry).
Tympanometry
Tympanometry assesses the middle ear: the mobility of the eardrum and the pressure in the middle ear cavity. A soft probe is placed in the ear and changes the pressure in the ear canal for a few seconds. The test is painless and takes a few minutes.
We perform it, among other reasons, when middle ear effusion is suspected in children, in recurrent ear infections, when the ear feels blocked, and as a complement to audiometry. The version with reflexes additionally assesses the stapedius reflex.
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Otoacoustic emissions testing records the very quiet sounds produced by healthy hair cells of the inner ear in response to a stimulus. It requires no cooperation from the patient, which is why it is the basic screening test in newborns and infants.
The test takes a few minutes, is painless and can be carried out while the child is asleep.
ABR (auditory brainstem response)
ABR measures the response of the auditory nerve and brainstem to sound stimuli using electrodes attached to the scalp. It makes it possible to determine the hearing threshold objectively, without the patient’s involvement, so it is used in infants, small children and people for whom audiometry is not possible.
The test requires the child to be calm or asleep; at Sonar Clinic we perform it in the evenings and on selected Saturdays, by prior arrangement by phone. It usually takes 45–90 minutes. Two variants are available: ABR latencies (assessment of the auditory pathway) and ABR thresholds with a report (determination of the hearing threshold).
Hearing tests in children
We choose the method according to the child’s age and abilities: otoacoustic emissions, ABR and tympanometry in infants and younger children, play audiometry from around 6 years of age, and pure-tone audiometry in older children. Details, including warning signs, are described on a separate page: Child hearing test.
From the test to an ENT consultation and a hearing aid
The results are discussed by the audiologist. If the picture points to a cause that requires treatment (e.g. middle ear effusion, earwax, sudden hearing loss), the patient can book an ENT consultation at Sonar Clinic — for children and adults. If the hearing loss is permanent, the next step is the selection and fitting of a hearing aid with a hearing care professional.
Tests are provided privately, without a referral. There is no charge for the hearing test carried out during a visit about a hearing aid fitting; prices of the other tests are listed in the price list.
