Audiology and Hearing Loss


As increasingly noisy environments threaten the aural health of more and more people, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the basic structure and function of the ear, and the threat to its proper functioning that noise exposure creates. This information is organized in five major topics:

A) Basic terms referring to the ear and its study;

Auditory
Aural
Audiology
Audiologist
Aurist
Otology

B) Audiometry and the measurement of hearing ability;

Audiometry
Audiometer
Audiogram
Hearing Level
Threshold of Hearing
Threshold of Pain
Differential Threshold
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C) The ear: its anatomical structure and function;

Ear
Auricle
Pinna
Tympanum
Eardrum
Middle Ear
Ossicles
Inner Ear
Cochlea
Vestibule
Semicircular Canals
Basilar Membrane
Organ of Corti
Volley Theory
Bone Conduction
Bone Conduction Hearing Level

D) Hearing loss and impairments, the basic types and their causes;

Hearing Loss
Sensory-Neural Hearing Loss
Conductive Hearing Loss
Threshold Shift
Adaptation
Acoustic Trauma
Presbycusis
Occupational Deafness
Sociocusis
Boilermaker's Disease
Acoasma
Tinnitus
Recruitment
Diplacusis
Hyperacusis

E) Damage-risk criteria established to minimize hearing loss, particularly in industry.

OSHA
Damage-Risk Criteria