Insert earphones: application to avoid collapse of the external auditory canal

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia

Calais, Lucila Leal¹  Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil¹  Silveira, Marcela Rosana Maia da¹  Gil, Daniela¹  Scharlach, Renata Coelho¹  Marangoni, Andréa Tortosa¹ 

关键词: Hearing;    Audiometry;    Auditory threshold;    Ear canal;    Elderly;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1516-80342012000100012

来源: Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia

【 摘 要 】

PURPOSE:To determine the efficacy of insert earphones in cases of collapsed external auditory canals. METHODS: Twenty-one elderly individuals with air-bone gaps greater than 10 dBHL at frequencies of 3 kHz and/or 4 kHz underwent anamnesis, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and immittance test. Pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry were performed with both supra-aural and insert earphones. RESULTS: Air conduction thresholds were lower with insert earphones at all frequencies except 1 kHz. The magnitude of the air-bone gap was also lower with the insert earphones, and there was a air-bone coupling with this transducer. CONCLUSION: Insert earphones ER-3A allowed significant improvement in air conduction hearing thresholds in elderly individuals, reducing or even eliminating the air-bone gap in cases of collapsed external auditory canals, especially at higher frequencies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown