Medical Health Encyclopedia

Audiology

How to prepare for the test:

No special preparation is needed.

For infants and children:

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The preparation you can provide for this test depends on your child's age and experience. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics:

• infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
• toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How the test will feel:

There is no discomfort. The length of time varies. An initial screening may take about 5 to 10 minutes. Detailed audiometry may take about 1 hour.

Why the test is performed:

This may be a screening test to detect a hearing loss at an early stage. It may also be used when there is difficulty in hearing from any cause.

Common causes of hearing loss include:

• chronic ear infections
• ruptured eardrum
• acoustic trauma
• occupational hearing loss
• head injury
• inherited conditions
• diseases of the inner ear
• medications that can be toxic to the nerve of the inner ear, including certain antibiotics (such as neomycin), diuretics, and large doses of salicylates (such as aspirin)

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