One of our audiologists will test your hearing thresholds in a sound-proof booth by presenting a series of tones and recording the level at which you respond. You will also be asked to repeat a list of standardized words in order to measure your understanding of speech. The hearing exam is instrumental in determining the type and degree of hearing loss present. A tympanogram measures the movement of the eardrum by varying the pressure in your ear canal. Our audiologist will place a tightly-fitting probe in your ear canal and you will feel a slight increase in pressure during the procedure. This test can help determine possible middle ear involvement in your hearing loss. A tympanogram, in addition to the results of your hearing test, helps determine the type of hearing loss present. Acoustic reflex testing is performed after the tympanogram. During this test, you will hear a series of loud tones that will engage a reflex in your middle ear. In normal ears, this reflex is a natural reaction to loud sounds which prevents damage to the cochlea. The presence or absence of the reflex can help our physicians make an accurate diagnosis of your hearing loss. An ABR measures how an acoustic signal travels along the auditory pathway by measuring electrical potentials from the hearing nerve to the brain. Much like the ECochG, you will wear electrodes which record brain wave activity in response to a series of clicks presented via insert earphones. This test can help determine if there are any obstructions in the auditory pathway, which may play a role in your hearing loss. The ABR is also performed to measure hearing thresholds when more conventional testing cannot be performed. Sounds originating in the cochlea, specifically from the outer hair cells, travel through the middle ear and into the ear canal where they are measured with a sensitive microphone system. In OAE testing these emissions are measured and used to evaluate our patient’s cochlear function. In testing for the presence of a fistula, a small bulb is used to apply pressure to each ear in turn, and the subsequent eye movements are recorded with a sensitive infrared recording device. This sensitive equipment makes testing for a fistula in our laboratory much more sensitive than conventional EOG based recordings. The ECochG is utilized to measure the electrical potentials generated in the cochlea as a result of sound stimulation. Our audiologist may use this test to determine if your inner ear has an excessive amount of fluid pressure. Excessive pressure in your cochlea can cause symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, and/or aural fullness. These symptoms are sometimes indicative of Meniere's disease, or endolymphatic hydrops. During this test, our audiologist will place electrodes at specific locations on your head. You will then hear a series of loud clicking sounds; however, you will not be required to respond, as the results are generated passively via the measurement of electrical potentials. In testing for the presence of a fistula, a small bulb is used to apply pressure to each ear in turn, and the subsequent eye movements are recorded with a sensitive infrared recording device. This sensitive equipment makes testing for a fistula in our laboratory much more sensitive than conventional EOG based recordings.