Pure-Tone Audiometry: Is the most common method of examination used during diagnostic audiology and is considered the gold-standard of the Audiology test battery. This test is carried out in a sound-proof booth. A series of tones with varying pitches will be presented through a calibrated headset / insert earphones. The  tones will start at a comfortable listening level and begin to decrease until one cannot hear the tone anymore. The level where the tone is perceived 50% of the time, is the ‘minimum hearing threshold’ or quietest level of hearing. The patient will be required to indicate each time they hear a tone by pressing a button or raising your hand. The results will be plotted on a hearing test chart or Audiogram.

Uncomfortable Loudness Level: Or loudness discomfort level (LDL) is a measurement obtained for most adult patients and these results are used by Audiologist especially when counselling patients that may be suitable for hearing aids or when assessing tinnitus patients or those with suspected hyperacusis (sensitivity to loud sounds). The LDL must be measured to determine the patient’s dynamic range of hearing, which is the range of intensities from the softest sound the patient can hear, to the loudest sound they can tolerate over 85dB+. A tone is presented at a comfortable level around 60-70dBHL (decibel hearing level) and increases in 10dB steps until the patient raises their hand to signal to the Audiologist when the sound has become too loud or uncomfortable.

Speech Audiometry: Speech Discrimination in quiet, also known as Word Recognition Score. This test measures how well you understand what you hear through headset/insert-earphones when speech is loud enough to hear comfortably. The Audiologist will instruct you to repeat the word you hear either by listening to a pre-recorded speech sample of phonetically-balanced words or by listening to live monitored voice as the Audiologist reads one word at a time ‘please say…’

Speech in Noise: QuickSIN-Quick Speech in Noise. You will be instructed by the Audiologist to repeat a short sentence presented through the headset/ insert-earphones in the presence of simulated competing background noise (busy cafe).

This test comprises six sentences and provides a quick, yet accurate measurement of your hearing in noise and ability to ‘fill in the gaps’ when hearing in noise. The test takes approximately 1 minute to administer per ear and sentences are presented with gradually increasing background noise. You will be scored on each correct word repeated in a sentence.

Bone conduction Audiometry: Tones will be presented though a bone conductor headband placed behind the test ear and the patient will respond by pressing a response button when the tone is heard. Sounds are presented by bone vibration and move from the outer ear to the inner ear and hearing nerve, bypassing the middle ear. Depending on the results obtained, tones may have to be ‘masked’ – in order to obtain the true thresholds of the test ear, while masking the non-test ear (white noise). Results are plotted on an audiogram and can confirm normal hearing or what type and level of hearing loss is present (Conductive-temporary hearing loss, Sensori-neural-permanent inner ear neural hearing loss or Mixed – a combination of conductive and sensori-neural hearing loss.)