Weber and Rinne Test are both assessments done to observe hearing impairments or hearing loss. These two hearing tests were named after two great German otologists in the past. This is usually done to observe person’s hearing whether it is still normal or not.  Most people would often connote that Weber and Rinne Test should be done together one after the other as a complete set. Both of these tests are conducted by the use of the tuning fork and no other instruments.  It is easy to conduct and with no other special preparations.

Weber test is done to identify the person if they are having unilateral or most commonly known as one-sided conductive hearing loss or unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.  During this test, the practitioner will beat the tuning fork in any metals that would create a sound then place it the middle of our forehead or in our frontal lobe. Unilateral Conductive hearing loss is identified when the person under this test would hear the loudest sound on the affected ear. Unilateral Sensorineural hearing on the other will be detected if the person will hear the tuning fork sound louder in the unaffected side.  Person hearing equal sounds on both ear means normal.

Rinne test is done to help identify patients who have conducted hearing loss quickly. During this test, after the tuning fork made a hit on any of the metals it will create a sound, then the practitioner will let the patient hear the sound though the ears without touching the bones.  This action is repeated but this time the tuning fork is placed in the mastoid bone. The practitioner will then ask the patient to which spot they can hear the sound longer, is it through air conduction or bone conduction.  Normal hearing would be hearing longer air conduction compare to bone conduction.

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