EarTest by Eartone vs Temporary Hearing Loss Test

“Do you have ANY hearing problem?” This seems like a simple question but it is difficult to answer. Since, hearing problem usually progress gradually, the hearing impaired can adapt themselves and hardly aware of the problem. This application was developed under the Thai Speech Acoustic Virtual Reality (Thai-SAVR) test for the detection of early dementia project in collaboration between Chulalongkorn University and University College London, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and Program Management Unit for National Competitiveness (PMUC), with Eartone Co., Ltd. providing support in developing this application. EarTest by Eartone is a self-hearing screening test application that can be used at home, suitable for those with hearing impairment and those who are at risk of developing hearing impediments, or general populace who desire to evaluate their own hearing ability. It can be used as a basic screening test before consulting with the specialist, in order to reduce risk factors contributing to potential additional hearing problems. The application can be divided as follows: - Test 1 is a brief hearing test which contains the sound of each frequency at 35 dB. There are 7 types of frequency in total, including 500Hz 1000Hz 2000Hz 3000Hz 4000Hz 6000Hz 8000Hz. The left and right ears are tested separately. The test taker begins by testing the 7 types of frequency with the right ear first before moving on to the left ear. The result is revealed upon the test completion. - Test 2 is a detailed hearing test for discovers the most quiet sound that you can hear. There are 8 types of frequency in total, including 250Hz 500Hz 1000Hz 2000Hz 3000Hz 4000Hz 6000Hz 8000Hz. The result is revealed upon the test completion, along with graphs and descriptions. - Test 3 is the hearing test using three numbers under the influence of disturbing sounds. - The self-hearing screening test evaluation is composed of 11 items to assess the test taker’s risk of hearing loss. The results show in excellent, moderate, and severe conditions. - The history page shows the user’s history. - The question page provides more information to users. - The reference page shows the application information and relevant research studies. - Language is available in both English and Thai. Changable in the app. For more information: http://www.eartone.com http://www.facebook.com/eartone Tel: +66-2-712-1177

Most often the early signs of hearing loss show up as a temporary change in one’s hearing threshold. This typically resolves within 16-18 hours and we have all experienced this, especially after a loud concert or a long day at work- typically a feeling of muffled sound and perhaps some ringing in your ears. The app measures the softest sound that can be heard before the music or noise exposure, and then again after the music or noise exposure. This difference is a measure of the temporary hearing loss, also known as temporary threshold shift (or TTS). A small shift, measured in decibels or dB, is not significant, but larger ones between 6-15 dB (orange), or even greater than 15 dB (red) can be indicators of over-exposure. If this happens, then a day or two of relative quiet may be very useful, in order to prevent this temporary problem from becoming a permanent one. Hearing protection would be very useful the next time you are in a similar environment.