You conducted the Weber and Rinne tests for hearing. Ideally, you would do the W

Question

You conducted the Weber and Rinne tests for hearing. Ideally, you would do the Weber test first, identify the ear that seems to be deaf, then do the Rinne test on that ear. Describe how these tests together are used to distinguish between conduction deafness versus nerve deafness. You conducted the Weber and Rinne tests for hearing. Ideally, you would do the Weber test first, identify the ear that seems to be deaf, then do the Rinne test on that ear. Describe how these tests together are used to distinguish between conduction deafness versus nerve deafness.

Explanation / Answer

These tests are used to detect what type of hearing loss is present in a patient, if any.

There are 2 types of hearing loss

1) sensorineural

2) conductive

In Weber test a 512 Hz tuning fork is struck and placed at the middle of the head.

The one ear which doesn't have hearing loss will hear the sound louder than the one with hearing loss.

Then the doctor will perform the Rinne test.

In this the ear with hearing loss is tested weather it is due to conductive or sensorineural type.

In this the tuning fork is struck and placed on the mastoid (it will tell you the bone conduction)

Then it is placed next to the ear perpendicularly. (This will tell you the air conducyion)

Patient will tell you each time for how long he heard the sound and the doctor will have to record the time.

Air conduction time should be twice as long as the bone conduction time in normal patients.

In patients with conductive hearing loss the patient will hear the sound longer on bone conduction.

In patients with sensorineural hearing loss the air conduction time will be longer but not twice as long as bone conduction time.

So all in all

Weber test tells you which ear has hearing loss

Rinne test tells you which type of hearing loss you have.

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