Weber and Rinne's Test Flashcards
What is used for the weber an rinne test?
Tuning fork - 512hz
Why do we use this test?
To see if hearing loss is conductive - middle/external ear pathology
or sensorineural - inner ear pathology
Describe Weber test
Place vibrating tuning fork in midline of pts head (or forehead)
Sound is travelling through bone
Normal result for weber test
Sound is equal on both sides and seems central
What does conductive hearing loss do on Weber test?
Ambient noise from external environment is blocked (as cannot travel through external and middle ear)
Noise is heard louder on side with conductive hearing loss (lateralises to side of hearing loss)
What does sensorineural hearing loss do on weber test?
Tuning fork noise will be quieter on sound with senorineural hearing loss as it is unable to be picked up by cochlea/VC nerve
Lateralises sound to normal ear
If someone heard the sound louder in L ear (lateralised to L) how do we know if the problem is conductive with L or sensorineural with R?
Rinne’s test
Basic principle of Rinne test
Air conducts sound better than bone as it is funnelled and amplified through external and middle ear
Bone conducts less well
How to do Rinne test
Place vibrating tuning fork on mastoid process - travelling through bone
Then move infront of ear external auditory meatus - travelling through air
Sound should be louder when in front of ear
If sound is louder when fork is infront of external auditory meatus what does this show?
That the external and middle is fine
(ie the example would be that it is sensorineural hearing loss in R)
What does it mean if sound is quieter when infront of external auditory meatus vs mastoid?
There is a problem with middle/external ear
As air should be conducting better than bone but is not in this scenario.
(eg in example would be conductive hearing loss in L)
