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Sunday, December 15, 2013

A General Review Of An Audiometer

By Tiffany Gill


An Audiometer is a special device which is used in evaluating hearing loss problems. Moreover, this device is used in in the general diagnosis of ENT problems. The instrument is uniquely calibrated to capture the exact data during hearing loss evaluation. The calibration is done in decibels as they are the standard units for measuring the intensity of sound. Calibration of this device needs to be done on regular basis. Doing this ensures that it gives error free results. Moreover, a good calibrated device will always give consistent results which can be trusted in analyzing hearing loss intensity of a patient.

The device does resemble a pair of headphones. However, it has several connections which include a special personal computer. Also embedded in this device is feedback control button. This button gives feedback signals to the PC whenever pressed. During operation, a patient is subjected to different audio frequencies which are from the audiometer. The patient then presses the button whenever they hear the sound. These different frequencies through which the patient is able to hear are than compiled to a data which is used to plot an audiogram.

An audiogram is basically a graph of the intensity of the sound in decibels against the reaction frequency in hertz. This graph is drawn with the aid of a computer. The graph will then be analyzed carefully by a medical specialist to determine at what range the patient is able to react to the sound frequencies. This will guide the specialist in administering treatment to the patient.

If you decide to shop for an audiometer, you will either go for the software or the hardware type. The software type is most common in homes and educational institutions. It uses special developed software which is installed in a computer. Data fed into this software gives the hearing range of the patient under test.

The hardware type is a bit complex. It requires an experienced person to use it. It comes with an embedded control unit and a feedback button as well. It requires a special type of a computer application to display its results. This device is relatively expensive. It is found in referral hospitals and research labs.

The overall procedure of identifying a hearing loss problem is not complex as you might think. With this device, it is very easy.it only entails the patient being subjected to an audio from the device then their reaction at different frequencies being noted. These different frequencies give a range of the hearing capabilities of the patient. The range aid the medical specialist in treating such a patient.

If the patient under test is an adult, then the hearing loss analysis is very easy. They will be instructed to press the feedback button whenever they hear the audio. For children, it is very different. Only their reaction in whatever manner is required. The kid can be instructed to press a toy whenever they hear the audio. The frequency is then noted down.

This hearing loss test using an audiometer can also be extended to animals. Vet doctors have devised unique ways to make sure that animals do respond to various frequencies. For instance they can provide food to the animal as way of rewarding it for responding to a certain frequency. The animal will be trained to understand that its response to a given frequency usually means food and therefore the doctor will be able to record down the range through which the animal can respond to different frequencies.




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