Plain-English definitions of the terms we use across hearing care: from audiometry, tympanometry and Real Ear Measurement to tinnitus, glue ear and auditory processing disorder, so you know what each test, condition and treatment actually involves.
Also known as: Hearing Test.
The formal measurement of hearing. An audiometry test charts the quietest sounds you can reliably hear across a range of pitches, producing an audiogram that shows the type and degree of any hearing loss and guides the plan that follows.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: PTA.
The core adult hearing test: calibrated tones are played at different pitches and volumes, usually through headphones, and you respond each time you hear one. The results are plotted on an audiogram and form the baseline of most hearing assessments, though a thorough assessment goes beyond pure tone audiometry alone.
Source: www.nhs.uk
The quietest level of sound you can reliably detect at a given pitch, recorded in decibels hearing level (dB HL). Your thresholds across the tested frequencies make up your audiogram and define the degree of any hearing loss.
The unit used to measure the intensity of sound. Hearing thresholds are recorded in decibels hearing level (dB HL); thresholds of 20 dB HL or better across the tested frequencies are generally considered within the normal adult range.
Also known as: Video Otoscopy.
Visual examination of the ear canal and eardrum using a small illuminated instrument called an otoscope. It checks for wax, infection, foreign bodies or a perforated eardrum before any hearing test or wax removal, and video otoscopy lets you see what the audiologist sees.
A quick, comfortable test of how the eardrum and middle ear respond to gentle changes in air pressure. It helps identify problems such as fluid behind the eardrum (glue ear), Eustachian tube dysfunction or a perforation, and takes only a few seconds per ear.
Source: www.thebsa.org.uk
Ear wax removal using a fine suction device under direct vision through a microscope or loupes. Because nothing is flushed through the ear canal, it is widely regarded as one of the safer methods of wax removal and is suitable for most ears, including many where syringing is not.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: REM, Probe Microphone Measurement.
Verification of a hearing aid fitting: a thin probe microphone measures the sound the hearing aid actually delivers at your eardrum, so the aid can be fine-tuned to your individual prescription rather than left on factory settings. The British Society of Audiology recommends it as standard good practice.
Source: www.thebsa.org.uk
Tests that measure how well you understand speech against background noise rather than how well you detect quiet tones. They often reveal real-world listening difficulty that pure tone audiometry misses, including in people whose audiogram is entirely normal.
Also known as: APD.
A condition where the brain has difficulty making sense of sound even though the ears themselves often work normally. People with APD typically struggle to follow speech in background noise or to process rapid or degraded speech, and diagnosis requires a specialist test battery.
Source: www.nhs.uk
The perception of sound, such as ringing, buzzing, hissing or humming, without an external source. There is no cure for tinnitus, but structured management combining education, sound therapy and counselling approaches can substantially reduce its intrusiveness and impact on daily life.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Reduced tolerance to everyday sounds, so that ordinary noise feels uncomfortably loud or even painful. It often occurs alongside tinnitus and can be managed with graded sound therapy and counselling-based approaches.
Source: rnid.org.uk
Also known as: Otitis Media with Effusion, OME.
A build-up of fluid in the middle ear that muffles hearing, most common in young children. It often clears on its own, which is why clinical guidelines recommend a period of watchful waiting, usually around three months, before active treatment is considered.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Hearing loss caused by damage to the sensory hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) or to the hearing nerve. It is usually permanent; age-related and noise-induced hearing loss are the most common forms, and well-fitted hearing aids are the main treatment.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Hearing loss caused by a blockage or problem in the outer or middle ear, such as wax, fluid behind the eardrum or damage to the eardrum or middle ear bones, that stops sound reaching the inner ear efficiently. Many conductive losses are temporary or treatable once the cause is identified.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Age-Related Hearing Loss.
The gradual, permanent decline in hearing that affects most people as they get older. It typically starts with high-pitched sounds and difficulty following conversation in background noise, and it responds well to properly fitted and verified hearing aids.
Source: www.nhs.uk
The balance organs of the inner ear, which work together with vision and the body’s position sense to keep you steady. Disorders of the vestibular system, such as labyrinthitis or BPPV, commonly cause vertigo, dizziness and unsteadiness, and can be investigated with specialist balance assessment.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Testing hearing by delivering sound through a small vibrating pad placed on the bone behind the ear, which bypasses the outer and middle ear and stimulates the inner ear directly. Comparing bone conduction with standard air conduction thresholds shows whether a hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural or mixed.
Source: www.nhs.uk
A piece made from an impression of your ear that connects a hearing aid to the ear canal, giving a secure, comfortable fit and reliable sound delivery. Custom moulds are also used for noise protection, swimming and in-ear monitors.
Source: www.nhs.uk
A hearing healthcare professional who assesses hearing and balance and fits and manages hearing aids. In the UK, clinicians who assess for and dispense hearing aids privately must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, whose public register lets anyone verify a practitioner.
Source: www.hcpc-uk.org