Hearing Aid Dispensers Written Exam Questions

Hearing Aid Dispenser's Written Exam Questions with 100% Verified Correct Answers Why do we perform audiometric tests? - Correct Answer to determine the different characteristics of a hearing loss if one presents A hearing loss is characterized by what three descriptors? - Correct Answer 1. Type of hearing loss (conductive, sensorineural, mixed)

• Degree of hearing loss (mild, moderate, etc)
• Configuration of hearing loss or what the hearing loss looks like (ex: flat, rising, sloping, etc)

Conductive hearing loss - Correct Answer a loss that occurs when sound is NOT transmitted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum and ossicles of the middle ear.What can cause a conductive hearing loss? - Correct Answer - middle or outer ear infection

• perforated tympanic membrane
• cerumen impaction
• benign tumors
• absence/malformation of the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear

Can conductive hearing losses be medically treated? - Correct Answer Yes (and surgically) Sensorineural hearing loss - Correct Answer occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain (retrocochlear) *permanent loss* What can cause a sensorineural hearing loss? - Correct Answer - disease

• birth injury
• ototoxic drugs
• genetic syndromes
• noise exposure
• viruses
• head trauma
• aging 1 / 3

• tumors

Can sensorineural hearing loss be medically or surgically corrected? - Correct Answer No Mixed hearing loss - Correct Answer occurs when there is damage to the outer and inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve

• air-bone gap with abnormal air and bone conduction thresholds*

Degree of hearing loss - Correct Answer Normal: -10-25

Mild: 26-40

Moderate: 41-55

Moderately-severe: 56-70

Severe: 71-90

Profound: 91 +

• pediatric normal: -10-15, slight: 16-25*

The configuration (or shape) of the hearing loss refers to what? - Correct Answer 1. extent of hearing loss at each frequency

• overall picture of hearing that is created

What are some configurations of hearing loss? - Correct Answer - flat: generally varies within 10-15 dB at all frequencies

- gently sloping: a gradual reduction from lower to higher frequencies

• rising or reverse slope: greater hearing loss in the low frequencies, better hearing in the high

frequencies

• precipitous slope: (ski slope or high frequency) better hearing in the low frequency range to a

severe drop in the high frequency range Noise-notch hearing loss - Correct Answer - common with people that have had a history of noise exposure

• noise notch between 3000 and 6000 Hz

Unilateral hearing loss - Correct Answer loss of hearing in one ear only 2 / 3

Bilateral hearing loss - Correct Answer loss of hearing in both ears Fluctuating hearing loss - Correct Answer hearing loss that is always changing over time Stable hearing loss - Correct Answer no change in hearing over time Sudden hearing loss - Correct Answer loss of hearing that occurs quickly Progressive hearing loss - Correct Answer loss of hearing that presents slowly over time Symmetrical hearing loss - Correct Answer the characteristics of degree and configuration of the loss are the same in both ears

• <10 dB*

Asymmetrical hearing loss - Correct Answer the characteristics of degree and configuration of the loss are different between ears

• >10 dB*

The audiogram typically consists of what information? - Correct Answer - patient name

• age
• sex
• date of exam
• equipment used
• test reliability
• comments
• hearing test information

Threshold - Correct Answer the safest level that someone can hear 50% of the time

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