Otology Fellowship is now available

"Otology Fellowship Program" at Karnataka ENT Hospital & Research Center (R)

Acoustic reflex testing

Acoustic reflex testing facility is available at Karnataka ENT
Hospital and Research Center(R).
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Overview

Acoustic reflex testing facility is available at Karnataka ENT Hospital and Research Center(R). Acoustic reflex testing is done using the equipment which is used for tympanometry. Acoustic reflex testing is done in each ear following tympanometry. The middle ear space situated beyond the eardrum houses the three smallest bones in your body. These tiny bones help to transfer the sound, which has vibrated the eardrum, into the cochlea (inner ear sound reception organ) where the hearing nerves are located.

Connected to the tiniest of these bones is a muscle (Stapedium muscle) which contracts involuntarily when loud sounds or noises are heard. This is a protective function of the muscle which helps in preventing loud sounds being transmitted to inner ear and inner ear damage. This muscle contraction is called an acoustic reflex, and the lowest level that it occurs is called an acoustic reflex threshold. 

Test Parameters

Acoustic reflex test results give the clinician valuable information regarding the severity of your hearing loss and the possible cause of your hearing loss. It is also a valuable test in detecting problems in the auditory pathway.

The complete acoustic reflex test battery takes only a few minutes. During this test, you will be asked to sit very still and not move your head or mouth. You will hear a series of loud sounds of varying pitches in each ear and the equipment will measure the presence or absence of the reflex.