Otoacoustic emissions and other ear check equipment for use by hearing care professionals

by Sonic Equipment Sonic Equipment

Hearing loss is a condition wherein a person cannot hear sounds at or above 20 decibels (dB). It can manifest in various degrees, ranging from mild to profound, and can affect one or both ears. Hearing loss can result from a variety of factors, such as early-onset childhood hearing issues, ear infections, age-related hearing deterioration, noise-induced damage, and the use of ototoxic medications. The consequences of hearing loss can be far-reaching, affecting a person's ability to communicate and potentially leading to delayed language development in children.

  

Hearing loss can be attributed to several causes, including aging and exposure to loud noises. It can be categorised as conductive (affecting the outer or middle ear), sensorineural (involving the inner ear), or mixed (a combination of both types). Additionally, factors like excessive earwax can impact hearing capacity.

  

Symptoms of hearing loss include:  

·         Muffling of speech and other sounds  

·         Trouble hearing and understanding words   

·         Often asking others to speak clearly and loudly  

·         Staying clear of some social settings  

·         Ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus  

·         Needing to turn up the volume of television and radio  

  

Hearing loss not only diminishes the quality of life but also hampers effective communication with others. It can even lead to cognitive impairment, affecting one’s thinking abilities. People with hearing loss often experience a decline in self-esteem and confidence. Hearing loss can either be congenital or acquired later in life, and it may hinder the acquisition of a new language. Furthermore, individuals with hearing loss might withdraw socially due to communication difficulties and reduced access to services.

  

Hearing loss tests   

Audiologists or ear doctors make use of ear check equipment, such as otoacoustic emissions, to determine the type and extent of hearing loss in an individual. Several types of hearing tests are performed by audiologists to determine hearing loss. These include:  

  

Pure Tone Testing: This common hearing test determines the lowest volume at which a person can detect sounds at different frequencies.

Otoacoustic Emission (OAE) Test: The test is performed by the audiologist to check the functioning of your inner ear. As otoacoustic emission does not rely on the person’s response behavior, the test can be performed when the person is asleep.   

 

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): In this test, an audiologist makes use of ear check equipment to check the connections or pathways between your inner ear and brain. The test is done on children and adults who can’t complete pure-tone tests. The test can also be used on people whose hearing has been affected due to brain injury.   

 

Bone Conduction Testing: The test is used to see if you have wax or fluid blocking your outer ear or middle ear, or if hearing loss is due to problem with sensory cells.   

 

Tympanometry: This test determines how well your eardrum moves. Audiologists may use appropriate ear check equipment to see if you have a ruptured eardrum, or if there is fluid or ear wax in your middle ear or ear canal.   

  

Various ear check equipment   

Sonic Equipment has the widest selection of otoacoustic emissions test devices, and other ear check equipment from the world’s top brands in the industry, including Amplivox, Difra, MedRx, FlexVRA, Maico, HearX, and more. These include the below ear check equipment among others:  

  

GSI Corti: This otoacoustic emissions device is portable, and measures otoacoustic emissions (OAE) in infants, children, and adults. The ear check instrument meets all recommended hearing screening protocols. It offers physicians the ability to rapidly screen newborns and perform OAE testing. This reliable and easy-to-use ear check equipment has flexible protocols, cradle convenience, and requires no OAE probe cleaning.   

  

Maico easyScreen: The otoacoustic emissions device unites ABR, TEOAE, and DPOAE screening capabilities. The portable ear check equipment saves test time with its binaural automated ABR screening to test both ears at the same time. The ABR and OAE testing device is easy to operate and allows even first-time users to achieve the most accurate results.   

  

Amplivox Otosure: This PC-based ear check equipment is designed to provide occupational health professionals with significant workflow improvements through time and cost savings. This pure tone audiometry device has a user-friendly recall facility, automatic HSE categorisation, and extensive data analysis and trending.   

  

Amplivox 302 & 302+: This diagnostic tympanometer provides fast and accurate middle ear measurements for all age groups, including neonates. The ear check equipment is ideal for use by audiology, ENT, and hearing care professionals. The device includes the perfect test to assess all ages, and identify the most common middle ear pathologies.   

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Created on Nov 8th 2023 02:35. Viewed 69 times.

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