Welch Allyn AM 232 Audiometer

Welch Allyn AM 232

Welch Allyn AM 232 Manual Audiometer brings audiometric testing capabilities to a new level – affordably. There’s no question that hand-held audiometers are important screening tools.

Features

• Allows quantifying hearing loss related to otitis media, ototoxic drugs, presbycusis, or any of the many factors that affect hearing.
• Obtains the precise threshold of patients’ hearing to better identify specific patterns of hearing loss.
• Enables testing in a full range of frequencies and intensity levels with steady, frequency-modulated, and pulsed stimulus modes.
• Test frequency values are easily visible at the dial.
• Displays HL levels in large, easy-to-see numbers on the LCD.
• Silent-functioning front panel controls prevent patient cueing; removable cover functions as a screen between the operator and subject.
• Sleek, ergonomic design for easy room-to-room portability; takes up minimal counter space.
• Microprocessor-based technology assures years of dependable service.

Why Audiometry Is Performed

An audiometry test is performed to determine how well you can hear. This may be done as part of a routine screening or in response to a noticeable loss of hearing.

The common causes of hearing loss include:

• birth defects
• chronic ear infections
• inherited conditions, such as otosclerosis, which occurs when an abnormal growth of bone prevents structures within the ear from functioning properly
• an injury to the ear
• inner ear diseases, such as Ménière’s disease or an autoimmune disease that affect the inner ear
• regular exposure to loud noises
• a ruptured eardrum

Damage to the ear or exposure to loud sounds for a long period can cause hearing loss. Sounds louder than 85 dB, such as you hear at a rock concert, can cause hearing loss after only a few hours. It’s good to use hearing protection, such as foam earplugs, if you’re exposed to loud music or industrial noise on a regular basis.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when hair cells in the cochlea aren’t working properly. The cochlea is the part of the ear that translates sound vibrations into nerve impulses to be sent to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss can also occur due to damage to the nerve that carries sound information to the brain or damage to part of the brain that processes this information. This type of hearing loss is usually permanent. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.