SPARKLE

Hearing is the detection of sound. Sound waves travel into the outer ear, are amplified in the middle ear, and then are converted into neural impulses in the inner ear.

There are four types of hearing problems:

• conductive loss
• sensorineural loss
• mixed loss
• processing disorders

There are four degrees of hearing loss:

• mild
• moderate
• severe
• profound

Hearing professionals include:

• Otolaryngologist or ear, nose, and throat doctor/ENT
• Audiologist
• Hearing aid dealer
• Teachers of the hearing impaired

There are two basic hearing tests:

• Pure tone audiometry
• Speech audiometry

There are several special hearing tests:

• Otoacoustic Emissions Audiometry or OEA
• Behavioral Observation Audiometry or BOA
• Visual Reinforcement Audiometry or VRA
• Play Audiometry
• Auditory Brainstem Response or ABR

Immittance Testing is a middle ear test that determines if there are middle ear problems.

Tympanometry tests middle ear functioning and measuring the flexibility of the eardrum.