Question

if a patient has sensorineural deafness, in which ear do you think the sound will be best heard

Hearing Acuity There are two possible types of hearing loss 1·Conductive hearing loss results from interference of sound conduction through the outer andor middle ear. 2. Sensorineural lhearing koss resules from damage to the inner ear or the vestibulocochlear nerve. Two clinical tests can help a healthcare professional determine if hearing loss is conductive or sensorineural: the Weber test and the Rinne (rinn-ay) test, Boch tests use tuning forks that vibrate at specific frequencies when struck. The tuning foeks are placed either directly on the bones of the skull to evaluate bone conduction the ability to hear the vibeations transmitned through the bone-andlor near the ear, not touching bone, to evaluate air conduction-the ability to hear the vibeations transmitted through the air. After you have completed both tests, answer Check Your Understand- ing question 3(p 342) Procedure 2 Weber Test 1 Obtain a tuning fork with a frequency of s00-1,000 Hz (cycles per second). 2 Hold the tuning fock by the base, and strike it lightly with a mallet, or tap it on the edge of the table. The fork should begin ringing softly. If it is ringing to loudly, grasp the tines to stop it from ringing, and try again. as shown in Figure 13.15 equally in both ears. If the sound is heard better in one ear, this is called 3 Place the base of the vibrating tuning fork on the midline of your partner's head, 4 Ask your partmer if the sound is heard better in onc ear or if the sound is heard lateralization Was the sound lateralized? If yes, to which ear? 13 5 To ilustrate what it would sound like if the sound were lateralized, have your partner place their finger in one ear. Repeat the test. In which car was the sound heard better? be heard most clearly (the deaf ear or the good ear)? Why? (lf you are confused, think about your results when one ear was plugged.) a b If a paient has conduction deafness in which car do you think the sound will RE 13.15 weber test. C If a patient has sensorineural deafness, in which ear do you think the sound will be best heard? General and Special Senses UNIT 13 329

Answer 1

If the patient has sensorineural deafness, the sound will be better heard in normal ear because of unilateral nature of this type of hearing loss which results in damage to cochlear hair cells of inner ear.