Insert Earphones: a study in children with and without hearing loss

Abstract

Objective: To compare hearing thresholds obtained with supra-aural and insertion in children with normal hearing and hearing impaired. Methods: We evaluated 20 children, 10 normal hearing and 10 hearing impaired neurossensorial any degree of bilateral and audiometric configuration of both sexes aged between 5 and 9 years, with type A tympanometric curves and not presenting syndromes and / or neurological damage and / or cognitive apparent. The subjects underwent history, otoscopy and pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry with both supra-aural (TDH-39) and insertion (ER-3A) in the same session. Results: For the variables sex and ear, there were not statistically significant differences when comparing the transducers in children with normal hearing and the hearing impaired. When comparing the thresholds obtained with both transducers showed that in children with normal hearing at frequencies of 250Hz and 500Hz the hearing thresholds by air were lower when using the headset insert (ER-3A). But in 8000 the frequency of hearing thresholds obtained by air were lower when obtained with supraaural earphone (TDH-39). In the group of deaf people there were not statistically significant differences according to type of transducer in any of the tested frequencies. Conclusion: The type of transducer influence in getting the hearing thresholds at low frequencies only in the group of children with normal hearing. In the group of deaf children there is no influence of the earphone to obtain hearing thresholds between 250 and 8000 Hz.