Pure tone audiometry, also known as pure tone threshold test, reflects the condition of the entire audit conduction pathway from the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear to the auditory center by measuring the response threshold of the test ear to pure tones of different frequencies within a certain. Through this examination, we can understand the hearing sensitivity of the ear, judge the degree of hearing loss, and preliminarily diagnose the type of deafness and the lesion site We often call it “otolaryngologic stethoscope”.
Basic theoretical knowledge of pure tone audiometry
Pure-tone audiometry includes air-conduction and bone-conduction audiometry, which involves two ways of sound transmission the inner ear, namely, air conduction and bone conduction. In normal cases, sound transmission into the inner ear is mainly through air conduction.
When the vibration of sound waves the outside world is collected by the auricle, it reaches the tympanic membrane through the external auditory canal, causing the mechanical vibration of the tympanic membrane-icular chain, and then vibrating the oval window to transmit into the lymph fluid of the inner ear, exciting the auditory sensory cells of the inner ear, which is called air, abbreviated as air conduction; the sound waves from the outside world directly act on the skull to reach the inner ear, causing the vibration of the lymph fluid of the inner ear which can also excite the auditory sensory cells of the inner ear, which is called bone conduction, abbreviated as bone conduction. Both air and bone conduction can be further transmitted the auditory center through nerve conduction pathways to produce hearing. Traditional headphones use the principle of air conduction. The headphones need to be inserted into the ear canal or covered on the ear The popular bone conduction Bluetooth headphones on the market today use the principle of bone conduction. The headphones are directly fixed on our skull, and the vibration of the skull can perceive the sound the outside world.
Figure 1: Two ways the human ear hears sound
When doing the examination, the audiologist will put two different headphones on us, which corresponds to the two different ways of sound transmission
Figure 2 Air conduction headphoneFigure 3 Bone conduction headphone
The basic process of audiometry
01 Preparation before testing
Pure tone audiometry is usually performed in an acoustic room. The audiologist will first understand the degree, nature and possible causes of hearing loss in patients based on their medical history, and determine the initial sound pressure level and the ear to be tested preferentially during the test.
02 Explain the rules of the test
Before wearing headphones for hearing examination, the audiologist will explain the rules of the test to the subjects, the purpose of which is to make the subjects understand: no matter how big or small the sound is, make an immediate response when you hear the sound, and do not respond when there is no sound. The following is a statement that patients often hear before the examination:
You will hear some “beep, beep, beep, buzz, buzz” in the headphones, no matter how big or small the sound is, no matter which ear hears the sound, just raise your hand as soon as you hear the sound, and then put it down. Raise once for each sound heard, and do not raise your hand if there is no sound, do not distinguish between left and right hands, understand?
03 Wear headphones for patients
After the subjects understand the rules, the audiologist will instruct them to take off glasses, hats and other ornaments to facilitate the wearing of headphones. The wearing of air conduction headphones follows the principle of left blue and right red, and the bone conduction headphones are placed on the left forehead or mastoid process. Generally speaking, air conduction testing is performed first, followed by bone conduction testing.
Figure 4. The bone oscillator is placed on the left forehead or mastoid.
04 Formal test
Before the formal test, a practice test can be performed in the normal ear or the ear with better hearing to familiarize yourself with the rules of the test. During the formal test, the ear with better hearing is tested first, followed by the worse ear, and the sound is given in the order of 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 500, 250, 125Hz. Finally, the 1000Hz is re-tested to confirm whether the test results are correct. First, give the subject a sound that can be heard. If the subject is suspected to be normal hearing, it can start from 30dB or 40dB, if there is hearing loss, it can start from 60~70dB, if the subject still has no response, increase the intensity by 20dB intervals until the subject responds, then reduce the intensity by 10dB intervals until the subject has no response, and then gradually increase the intensity by 5dB intervals until the subject hears it, and then reduce it by 10dB. Repeat the operation until a certain sound intensity is heard twice in three tests, then the intensity is determined as the hearing threshold of this frequency. The basic steps of bone conduction testing and air conduction testing are the same, but when the frequency is too low and too high, the patient is not sensitive to the signal emitted by the bone conduction headphone, so the test frequency range of bone conduction is 250-4000Hz, and there is no bone conduction hearing threshold of 125Hz and 8000Hz.
It is worth noting that when we test deaf ears or ears with poor hearing, if the stimulating sound has reached a certain intensity but has not yet reached its hearing threshold and has been heard by the good ear, it will produce shadow hearing. In order to avoid this situation, we usually use the method of masking to perform pure tone testing, that is, add a certain intensity of noise to the non-test ear to prevent the sound from being heard by the good ear. In layman’s terms, when one ear’s hearing is significantly better than the other, we need to “block” the good ear by adding noise in order to accurately measure the real hearing of the poor ear. After all the tests are completed, we will get the pure tone audiometry report as shown below.
The hearing aid dome is the “bridge” connecting the hearing aid to the user’s ear canal, and its functions cover three dimensions: acoustic optimization, physical fixation, and health protection. When choosing, it is necessary to consider the type of hearing loss, the anatomy of the ear canal, lifestyle, and the model of the hearing aid comprehensively, and to adjust under the guidance of a professional audiologist to maximize the hearing effect. The role of the hearing aid dome is not only about comfort but also directly affects the transmission effect of sound and the overall performance of the hearing aid. Below is a detailed guide to choosing a hearing aid dome, covering types, applicable scenarios, precautions, and maintenance suggestions to help you make the right choice based on your personal needs: 01 hearing aid dome types and characteristics 1 Standard hearing aid dome (universal type) 2 Custom ear mold 3 Open hearing aid dome (with ventilation hole) 4 Closed hearing aid dome 5 RIC/RITE dedicated hearing aid dome 02 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Ear Plugs 1 Degree of Hearing Loss 2 Comfort and Fit 3 Management of Plugged Ear Effect 4 Usage Scenarios 5 Special Needs 03 Notes for Trial and Adjustment 1 Professional Fitting: 2 Feedback Squealing Troubleshooting: 3 Comfort Test: 04 Maintenance and Replacement of Ear Plugs 1 Cleaning Methods: 2 Replacement Cycle: 3 Storage Recommendations:
Nowadays, Bluetooth technology has been widely used in various fields, and the hearing aid industry is no exception. For example, the Bluetooth technology we often use been well applied to hearing aid products, bringing more convenience and practicality to the user experience. Many functions that could not be realized in the past have now been realized through technology. The Bluetooth function of the hearing aid is the biggest change in the function of the hearing aid in recent years. The advantages of Bluetooth hearing aids Bluetooth hearing aids integrate Bluetooth functionality, allowing wireless connection to your mobile phone or television. This is a very convenient feature for hearing aids. With Bluetooth hearing aids, mobile phone or television signals are transmitted directly to the hearing aid via radio (Bluetooth), and the effect is very good, with no distortion and no loss of signal. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can be wirelessly programmed, connected to mobile phones to make calls and listen to music, connected to wireless microphones to achieve long-distance communication and communication, wirelessly connected to televisions, etc., watching TV will not affect others, making listening clearer. Moreover, Bluetooth hearing aids can also be wirelessly connected to debugging software, making it more convenient to debug hearing aids. Real-time APP connection Bluetooth functionality is not just about connecting hearing aids to your phone, it also works in conjunction with a Bluetooth hearing aid app, which allows you to control your hearing aids from your phone at any time and anywhere. However, some Bluetooth hearing aid models or brands have their own app applications, which can fully leverage the advantages of Bluetooth functionality. Solving the problem of making phone calls The problem of unclear and inconvenient phone calls has been solved. The hearing aid only needs to be paired and connected with the mobile phone’s Bluetooth. When there is an incoming call, the Bluetooth hearing aid becomes a wireless Bluetooth headset, avoiding the feedback phenomenon of the hearing aid. Solving the problem of watching TV The Bluetooth headset can effectively reduce the attenuation of sound. Some deaf users like to watch TV, but ordinary hearing aids are still not very effective. Now that there is a Bluetooth hearing aid, you can pair it with a TV box for watching TV. After matching, the sound in the TV is directly transmitted to the hearing aid, which improves the listening effect and does not affect the family watching TV. Realizing long-distance transmission Bluetooth hearing aids can achieve long-distance transmission, with no attenuation of sound transmission, good transmission stability, clearer and more comfortable sound, less signal interference, and can be connected with wireless accessories for use. It can be connected with a wireless microphone, and the microphone can directly receive the language signal, which can achieve long-distance conversation, such as conversation places such as meetings and classrooms. Connect your phone to listen to music and scroll through videos Bluetooth hearing aids can connect to your phone via wireless Bluetooth function, which can better answer calls, watch videos, listen to music, etc. For deaf people who love music and like to listen to songs and scroll through short videos, this function is extremely friendly to them, and there is no need to worry about it. Reduce interference from the surrounding environment Wireless Bluetooth technology can effectively reduce interference from the surrounding environment. We can connect the hearing aid to Bluetooth and choose to attenuate the microphone function, so we only hear the signal sound from Bluetooth, and block other interference sources. With the increasing demand for telephone communication, video chat, watching TV, browsing short videos and other behaviors deeply into everyone’s life, our demand for hearing AIDS will also change. Therefore, when the existing hearing AIDS can not meet the above behaviors, you can consider using a wireless hearing AIDS, through the wireless connection between hearing AIDS and devices, so that listening effects are better. However, no matter how convenient the wireless Bluetooth function of the hearing aid is, it is not perfect and still has shortcomings, such as high price, fast power consumption, model restrictions, unstable signals and so on. In fact, wireless Bluetooth hearing AIDS are not the needs of all hearing aid users, users can choose according to their own actual situation, believe that in the future, the wireless Bluetooth technology of hearing AIDS will be better and better.
Why do hearing aids vary so much in price? If you’re considering purchasing a hearing aid, you might be surprised to find that the price range in the market can be extremely wide—from cheap devices costing a few tens of dollars to high-end models that can go up to a few thousands. Why is there such a big price gap? Is an expensive hearing aid really better than a cheaper one? This article will provide you with a detailed analysis of the factors behind the price of hearing aids, helping you make a more informed decision when it comes to making a purchase. First and foremost, the price difference of hearing aids is closely related to their types. Currently, hearing aids on the market are mainly divided into the following categories: (1) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids (2) Standard Digital Hearing Aids (3) High-end Custom Hearing Aids (4) Implanted hearing aids (such as cochlear implants) (1) Material The materials used in cheap and expensive hearing aids are different. Hearing aids made from low-cost materials have a shorter lifespan and the sound amplification and reproduction will have a significant distortion, affecting listening quality and satisfaction. Expensive hearing aids use better materials, which last longer and are less likely to break. The sound reproduction is more realistic and clear. (2) Technology Cheap hearing aids are more like a combination of speakers, amplifiers, and microphones. They simply amplify the sound without any processing, including amplifying the surrounding noise along with the sound into the ear canal. Expensive hearing aids have chips and algorithms. They process the collected sound, amplifying the speech sounds more and suppressing the noise. This makes the sound heard by the ear clearer and cleaner. (3) Function Cheap hearing aids can only simply amplify the sound, without noise reduction function, without strong sound interruption function, and are not friendly to the ears. Expensive hearing aids have an automatic noise reduction function, have an instantaneous loud sound interruption function, avoid too loud sound breaking the eardrum, and some expensive hearing aids have a Bluetooth direct connection function, which allows us to hear music and watch videos with a cleaner sound. (4) Service (5) Brand and market positioning (6) Appearance and customization (1) Advantages and Disadvantages of Cheap Hearing Aids (<$500) ✅Pros: ❌Cons: (2) Advantages and Disadvantages of Mid-Range to High-End Hearing Aids ($500-$5,000) ✅Pros: ❌Cons: 4.How to Choose the Right Hearing Aid for You? (1) Assess Your Hearing Needs (2) Set a Budget (3) Trial Period and After-Sales Service (4) Consult with a Hearing Expert As technology advances and market competition intensifies, the price of hearing aids may gradually decrease, especially with the growing popularity of OTC hearing aids that make it possible for more people to get help at a lower cost. However, high-end hearing aids will still maintain higher prices due to ongoing technological innovations. Conclusion: The most expensive is not always the best, but the cheapest may not be sufficient. The price difference in hearing aids reflects a combination of technology, service, and brand value. If you have mild hearing loss, OTC hearing aids can be a good choice; but if you need better sound quality and adaptability, investing in a mid to high-end hearing aid might be more worthwhile. Most importantly, make an informed choice based on your hearing needs, budget, and lifestyle, and consult a professional audiologist if necessary. We hope this article helps you understand the price differences in hearing aids and find the best solution for you! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and join the discussion. Your hearing health is worth the investment, choose the right hearing aid and let the world sound clearer! 🎧
