Introduction:

Clinical masking is a technique used in audiology to evaluate hearing loss in one ear while masking the sounds presented to the other ear. In this article, we will discuss the purpose of clinical masking and its applications in audiology.

Purpose of Clinical Masking:

The purpose of clinical masking is to ensure that the responses obtained during a hearing test are only from the ear being tested, and not from the non-test ear. Masking is necessary when there is a significant difference in hearing thresholds between the two ears, as sounds presented to the better-hearing ear can interfere with testing the poorer-hearing ear.

Applications of Clinical Masking:

Clinical masking is commonly used in audiology to:

• Determine the degree of hearing loss in each ear: Masking is used to test each ear independently to determine the degree and type of hearing loss present in each ear.
• Determine the type of hearing loss: Masking can help determine whether the hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural, or mixed by testing each ear independently.
• Determine the need for amplification: Masking can help determine the degree of hearing loss in each ear and whether hearing aids or other amplification devices are needed.
• Determine candidacy for cochlear implants: Masking can help determine if a person is a candidate for cochlear implants by evaluating the degree and type of hearing loss in each ear.

Techniques for Clinical Masking:

The most common techniques for clinical masking include:

• Narrow-band noise: Narrow-band noise is used to mask pure-tone stimuli and is typically used when there is a significant difference between the hearing thresholds of the two ears.
• Speech noise: Speech noise is used to mask speech stimuli and is typically used when testing speech discrimination abilities in the poorer-hearing ear.

Conclusion:

Clinical masking is an important technique in audiology for accurately evaluating hearing loss and determining appropriate treatment options. Understanding the purpose and applications of clinical masking can help audiologists provide effective hearing healthcare for their patients.

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